Blogging is experiencing an exponential growth in the 21st century. It has evolved from the self-absorbed online diary that it was a decade ago to a legally recognized platform in which someone can express their personal views and opinions, and at the same time make genuine money out of it. Because of the exponential growth and the lucrative potential that it has become, it is turning out to be a source of so many lawsuits and charges.
There are some common mistakes that bloggers engage in, some knowingly and others inadvertently, which end up costing them a lot. This article covers the four basic mistakes that every blogger should avoid in order to stay out of trouble with the law.
Copyright infringement
Just because some information or images are available online doesn’t mean they are free for anyone to use or abuse as they wish. Almost all videos and images are protected by rights hence should be used with much care. Ensure you use images released to the public under the Creative Commons license and if you can, purchase copyrights from any of the many photography websites available on the internet. The same goes with text. Unless you create unique content for your blog, you should always link to the original resource to avoid getting sued for copyright infringement.
Cheating and giving False statement
It is true there is freedom of speech, but it does not mean you can say anything and everything as you please. There are certain areas where you need to tread carefully. Before you publish any information on your blog, ensure you have verified all sources and that you have tangible proof to support your argument. Keep in mind that knowing the truth is one thing and sustaining and backing it up is a different thing altogether.
Publish private information
Under the privacy law, it is a crime to publish certain information, regardless of whether it is true or false. This is so especially if the information published can lead to defamation or cause untold embarrassment to the named parties. The same holds true when publishing information regarding a business. As it is, the business industry is ferocious and fierce in competition and publishing a well-kept and guarded secret which can be a source of cutthroat advantage, a business could be more than willing to go on a court battle if only to safeguard their interest.
Anonymity
While anonymity can be able to protect a blogger to a certain extent, it should never be trusted entirely. Should you post sensitive information or information that has violated copyright laws; you can be prone to subpoenas where your ISP will be legally compelled to reveal your IP address. It goes without saying that this might land you in lots of trouble.
The only way you can be on the safe side of the law is to remain wary of the points highlighted above so as to avoid unnecessary court battles. Not only are court battles costly, they will take up your time and money which you could have otherwise channeled to a worthy cause of improving your blog.
