Are You Risking Copyright Infringement with Your Marketing?
As a small business, you're probably trying to balance your budget as much as possible, so it only makes sense to be your own graphic designer when you need to make posters, pamphlets, and business cards . Unfortunately, many individuals run to Google when they need certain photos, logos, graphics, and even fonts, and those materials are not up for grabs. This year we've seen a rise in copyright infringement case stories, so we wanted to take some time to dig into copyright laws and how that can affect you as a business through your print materials. The Definition There are three types of legally protected materials that could be important to you, and it's important to know the difference: patents, trademarks, and copyrights. A patent protects an invention, think of things like tools, vehicles, supplies, etc. A trademark protects brand names and logos that appear on goods and services. Finally, a copyright protects original and artistic works - this is probably wher...