Avoid Getting Sued On Your Blogs

So, you've started a blog. Congratulations! You've got something to say, and you've finally figured out how to say it. But now that you've made your voice heard, be careful—or you might end up getting sued.

Not sure what I'm talking about? Here's an example: Say you're writing a piece about your favorite musician. You decide to write a list of the top 10 reasons why they're the best performer around, and you include some photos and gifs of them in action. Now imagine that after that piece goes viral, the musician's label sues you for copyright infringement, saying that you didn't have permission to use their images or content.

It's something none of us like to think about: getting sued. But in today's online world, it may be a very real consideration. If you run a blog, you may be encouraging readers to engage with your content and comment on it. While this is great for building a community and engaging readers, it also opens you up to potential legal liability if someone decides to claim that something you've written on your website or something that's been posted by one of your readers has defamed them or caused them some other kind of harm.

If someone feels like their reputation has been harmed by something you or one of your readers has written on your site, the first thing they'll do is contact you and demand that the post be taken down. They'll argue that the post is embarrassing, insensitive, or just plain mean—and they'll be right! But that doesn't necessarily mean that it's illegal. The issue is not whether it's right or wrong but whether there is legal cause for action against you in court.

So, how can you get sued for blogging? Basically, in the same ways as any other company. One specific issue that bloggers need to be aware of is Copyright Infringement.

Copyright is a pretty big legal concern for bloggers. Since most blogs are written by any person, it's easy to accidentally plagiarize someone else's work. There are a few ways to avoid this, though:

If you're quoting someone else's work, cite them correctly and link back to their original post (or other appropriate site). Make sure that if you're quoting anyone at length that you get their permission first.

If you want to use an image or another piece of work created by someone else, make sure you ask for permission first—or buy the rights from them. If you don't know who created something that doesn't belong to you, it's better not to use it.

Always make sure everything you post is original. If it isn’t yours, don’t use it. You can get sued for copyright infringement if you use someone else’s work without their permission (or under the terms of a license). This includes text, photos, and videos, basically anything that has been created by someone else and is protected by copyright law.

You can get sued even if you give credit to the original author or link back to the original source! The only way to ensure that you aren't infringing on anyone else's rights is to get their written permission first. But don't worry: there are plenty of resources out there for things you can use legally in your blog! Check out places like Creative Commons and Pixabay for images and videos that are covered under a license that allows them to be shared freely.

If your site has any sort of medical or financial advice, it might be a good idea to add a disclaimer that says something along the lines of "This is not professional advice." Of course, this won't protect you from everything, so consult a lawyer if you feel like you might be in trouble!

In Conclusion

The number of blog posts, articles, and pages on the Internet is insanely high. With so much text out there, it's no wonder that a person might find themselves involved in legal action due to an accidentally plagiarized post or news article. That said, there are also a number of steps you can take to keep yourself protected. If you want to avoid being sued for copyright infringement and other legal issues, then be sure to design your blog around these practices.

Hopefully, none of us here will ever face the threat of a copyright infringement suit. But just in case that day ever comes, you'll be glad to know that you know how to avoid being sued. The entire purpose of this guide is to make you aware of potential lawsuits so that you can avoid them before they happen. There are, of course, no guarantees that you will escape a lawsuit but knowing your rights can be the first step in protecting yourself.

Copyright 2022 frdchckn. All rights reserved.