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The internet has proffered a plethora of advantages for designers:
everything is immediate, work can be featured prominently, it’s easy to find
freelance work, or the possibilities of starting enterprises on the net. Also,
to go with this, one’s work is vulnerable to being filched. In fact, it’s all too common-- a designer puts his
work on the net, someone sees the work and pilfers it, the designer is incensed
that someone would actually steal his creation. Well, instead of being the
designer who crashes his head into a wall out of sheer frustration, it’s best
to shield oneself from incurring the theft. These three tips aim to do that,
all one has to do is follow them.
Enforce the Copyright: What
you will find under any typical design creation: The year, the name of the
creator and the nebulous “All Rights Reserved.” This doesn’t evoke provoke
fear, it subliminally conveys acceptance- that you know you cannot safeguard
your designs from those with sticky hands. The best way to take care of this is
to “enforce the copyright.” You want to have it legally realized by a copyright
office. When this is done, you’re authorized to take action if you see your
creation multiplied on the net. The downside is that there is a cost; the fee,
in my opinion, is a secondary dilemma in terms of people stealing your work.
There is nothing more frustrating than to see the creation in which you
invested blood, sweat, and tears fall into the hands whose work solely
consisted of saving it to their hard drive.
Create an Aura of Surveillance: What is
one way to deter a house thief? Have a sign on your gate that warns, “Guarded
by a 24 hour surveillance camera.” The
thief, if he is smart, will flee. Well, the same thing can be translated to
your internet space (if you have a website, that is.) You want to create an
atmosphere of surveillance that says your eyes are ubiquitous. One way to do
this is to openly, and authoritatively, declare that you are watching for any
foul play in terms of your creation. Sprinkle caveats every few weeks. Paste
pertinent sections of the US Copyright laws. Copyscape has a free banner which
you can post on your website. It reads, “Protected by Copyscape Do Not Copy.”
Hopefully, this will arouse trepidation in the potential thief, as it would for
the quintessential home robber.
Decrease the Value: No,
decreasing the value doesn’t consist of rendering work that doesn’t meet your
standards. It is actually putting a stamp over your work. You would do this by
placing a watermark over your image or design. Unless the thief go to great
lengths to erase it, you would have deterred with something as simple as a
personal stamp. It’s like a lion marking his territory, and any prey, if it
know what’s good for, will not encroach on that border. Sure, there are shameless
robbers who are like virtually inexorable, but if you display the effort, you
can protect your designs from copyright infringement.
