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Things to think about before you commit a crime...Thinking that the worst thing that can happen to you if you "steal" a marketing program is that you can be forced to pay what you would have had to pay anyway...

Think again. Copyright laws provide for statutory penalties of up to $150,000 per infringement. "Borrow" a picture, code or web page that we created that you should have paid for? Who's would know, right? Somebody "catches" you, you pony up a small fee or just take it down, right? Nope. You have "infringed" a legal copyright, and That's what they're going to come after you for: $150,000. per occurrence.

Thinking "Let them prove I didn't pay for the picture, code or text".

"Intellectual Property" issues are different from a lot of things in the rest of the world. ("Intellectual Property" is how the law describes things like books, poems, code and...photos.) In the rest of the world, if somebody thinks you stole something, they have to prove you did. In the world of "copyright infringement", you have to prove that you didn't. Let's say, for example, that someone sees one of their pictures used on your website. They can prove that it is, indeed, their picture. They own the copyright on it. They can make a demand that you prove that you have legally acquired the right to use the picture. If you can't prove it you're in big trouble. Very big.

Policy effective date: December 12, 2003. The above policies are subject to change without notice.