Business and Law

Running online business frees you from many legal issues that can be a big headache when you operate a brick-and-mortar store. However, the rule is still there. And I’d like to share some important legal aspects every online business owners need to know.

Domain name

Domain name is the identity for your online presence. However it can also get you into trademark issues. One of the most common problem is the use of trademark names or brand names that violate intellectual property of another owner. For instance, you cannot use eBay in your domain names. There have been numerous cases for inclusion of ‘ebay’ in domain name that lead to legal actions. Usually this will effect a ceases and desist order, requiring you to abandon the domain name without any compensation. You ought to be very careful when you choose a domain name.

Copyright issues

One of the most important area in legal rules is the copyright violation. You have to know the related rights when you plan to use anything for your online business, including coding, images and videos. Many people use images from search engines for their own sites, but they may actually violate the law. In particular if you use an image from some stock images sites without authorization, you can be sued by these sites. When legal action is taken, it can cost you hundreds of bucks for illegal use.

Privacy policy

Personal privacy has become a top concern recently, especially in social networking sites when data can be spread very easily. You need to state clearly about your site’s terms of service and privacy policy, so that visitors can understand the use of their information.