Have you ever copied and pasted content from another website? No big deal, right? WRONG.

I’ll give you a minute to consider that question again. Most people recognize the issues with copying and pasting regular content – i.e. someone else’s blog post or article, newsletter, conversation piece, or other content obviously created by the website owner or business.

So why is it that so many people ignore the normal rules that apply to copying online content when trying to piece together important legal documents such as their Website Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy?

I think it happens for one or several of the following reasons:

• Some people are not quick to recognize that plagiarism is, well … still plagiarism (and this exposes to you liability for copyright infringement which can bring with it thousands of dollars in damages!);
• Some people don’t want to pay outright for what they think may be an expensive (legal) service;
• Some people don’t recognize that their Website Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy are actual legal documents;
• Some people don’t recognize that these legal documents, to truly offer protection, need to be customized to their business and their services like other necessary legal documents;
• Some people don’t even know what their Website Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy should cover, what needs to be addressed, or what portions are particularly important in offering protection, and so not knowing what they don’t know, they simply don’t understand the potential harm in copying and pasting language from another website or elsewhere that may not apply to their business or offer any protection whatsoever.

Your business is unique. Your legal documents should be custom-designed to fit your business and offer you the protection that you and your business need. In the context of legal scenarios, ONE WRONG WORD can mean the difference between protection or liability. The absence of proper legal phrases could leave you exposed. The combination or even the order of the words can mean thousands of dollars in damages (or not). I have seen this time and again over the 15 years that I have practiced law and helped businesses get all of their legal ducks in a row (or in getting them out of pickles, heaven forbid).

The bottom line is this: do NOT copy anything belonging to someone else on the internet, and this includes legal documentation. (I have personally pursued individuals, including small business owners and entrepreneurs, around the world for this very thing on behalf of my clients and myself, and have collected thousands of dollars from violators due to their copyright infringement).

A DIY (do-it-yourself) approach to law is for those who enjoy taking on significant risk and exposure.

That is not what I want for you. Please lay a proper foundation for your business by embracing the fact that you need legal protection that fits your business – legal protection that is yours, and not stolen from somebody else on the internet. I know you would never walk into a brick and mortar business and take something from the shelves or a display case, so why would you do that online? (That is the equivalent of swiping online content belonging to others).

Having proper, professionally drafted business contracts, including terms and conditions (for your website, your programs & services), and privacy policy will not only elevate your business presence and perceived level of professionalism, but will bring you considerable peace of mind in knowing that you have taken the steps necessary to truly protect your business.

And that’s what I’m all about. (Protecting your business AND delivering peace of mind.)

PS. If you are interested in my Website Protection Package, which includes the necessary legal documents designed to protect your online presence, you can purchase it here under my essential legal tools section.

DISCLAIMER: THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS POST MAY CONTAIN LEGAL INFORMATION, BUT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE. NO RELATIONSHIP, INCLUDING ATTORNEY-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP, HAS BEEN FORMED AS A RESULT OF THIS POST. YOU ARE ADVISED TO SEEK THE ADVICE OF AN ATTORNEY LICENSED IN YOUR STATE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.