This was published on Smashing Magazine by Cameron Chapman
Designers spend hours perfecting websites, whether their own or their clients’. When you’ve invested anywhere from a few days to months in a website, the last thing you want is for someone else to steal the design without even giving you proper credit (or compensation). And if you’re a template or theme designer, it’s an even bigger problem. After all, if your templates are available online for free, a lot of people won’t bother paying for them.
So what can you do if you’ve discovered that one of your designs has been ripped off? What should you do? Read on for a complete guide to steps you can take to protect your intellectual property.
I am not a lawyer, nor do I pretend to be one on TV, so the advice here should not be taken as legal advice. Before taking any of the actions mentioned below, check with a lawyer or other legal expert to see what is allowable in your state or country or to see if additional options are available to you.
Claudiu Geanta is a serial entrepreneur and founder of
Design by Satori Inc. &
Satori CG Inc.. He helps businesses promote their presence on and off line.
He is also an accomplished web designer, book writer and photographer. You can follow him on
Twitter. Read more from this author
