On Handling Web Site Legalities?

sterno asks: "I'm currently running a Web site that deals with issues of privacy, freedom, etc. Up until now the site has been built almost entirely out of articles that I have personally written. I've long considered adding the ability for people to submit articles but I'm concerned about the potential legal issues involved (copyright, etc). What I'd like to know is what people who run Web sites as hobbies have done about the potential legal issues of their sites?" If you run a Web site as a hobby, this question has probably run through your mind in some form or another. What legal contingency plans do most of you have in place which would prove useful to a Web site without much in the way of resources?

"One of the problems with building Web sites it seems is that they are frought with potential legal morasses. Somebody could be offended by your Web site and sue to have it taken down. Somebody may post proprietary information to your Web site, leading to somebody else filing a suit against you. We've seen countless reports of this happening, and I'm sure there are many situations that don't make it to the press happening every day.

If you are part of a large corporation who can afford lawyers this is one thing, but for hobbyists the same legal issues can arise but we may not possess the knowledge and resources to fend them off. So, I'm curious to know what people have done with their Web sites to reduce their risks. Do you pay a lawyer a few bucks to write a usage policy? Do you copy a policy from somewhere else? If you have gotten into some legal hot water, what did you do about it?"

Comments

lalachu

[Lord Omlette]

Doesn't the W3C have that PICS standard thingee? You could register with their website and mod your rating up to prevent little kids from going there. Any irate parents would have the blame solely placed on themselves.

One of my favorite hentai webcomics uses a cookie on the disclaimer page to make sure you've gone through the front at least once. If you're looking at a page and that cookie isn't there, make sure the very top of the page has a warning that you haven't read the disclaimer and should read that before proceeding.

Privacy: rule # 1: Don't be a dick. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" may make non-christians sick, but it's a pretty good way to make decisions. Try it, you might like it. rule # 2: All you need for truste certification (i think) is to disclose your privacy policy and every single way in which you collect user information and how you use it.

Copyright: put your own copyright on every single page you've written. Reference reference reference If you've taken something from someone else, document it, and even better, get permission. If you don't know who said something, but it's not yours, say so and hope the other party comes forward. If you let someone else post on your website, remember to document in plain view that these other people's views are their own and may not necessarily reflect your own. Plan ahead: if you think something will be abused, it will be. If you think it won't be abused, it will be. Welcome to the internet.

If you're going to post something to the net and you think you could get in legal trouble, then fuck you, stop whining, go talk to a lawyer. Lesser of three evils: spend money on a lawyer, go to jail, don't publish. Well?! CHOOSE DAMMIT! If you don't, someone else will.

Change your content to publish only trivial things that involve linux or sensationalized headlines, then get bought out by VA Linux. Then you won't have to worry about money. whee
--
Peace,
Lord Omlette
ICQ# 77863057

My Lawyer says..(2)

[cthlptlk]

...that I should be using Visual Basic rather Java. So why ask programmers for legal opinion?

P.S. No one needs a good case to sue you. Maybe they need a good case to win, but going to court can kill you, win or lose. I "won" my divorce case a few months ago and I'll be paying the legal fees for the next few years.