I know what you’re thinking: What? Get in trouble for my website in today’s online which is basically a total free-for-all?
To be clear, the issues described below, if neglected, will most likely NOT get you into a jail cell but will rather get you a formal cease-and-desist email from a law-enforcing party telling you to correct your wrongdoing immediately.
But even so, if you’re a business owner, entrepreneur, or creative as I am, the last thing you need while trying to live out your purpose and passion is to be dealing with the law. So do yourself a favor and avoid the three website legal pitfalls below.
#1: Use Only Free-for-Legal-Use or Purchased Photos
It seems pretty easy to use whatever photos you come across on Google Image Search these days, does it not? But the reality is, it’s all too easy for the owners of those images to similarly do a search and find out who is using their photos illegally. As a naive 20-something and brand-new business owner who didn’t know any better, many years ago I used a few photos I found on Google on my blog. Years later, I received an email telling me to take those photos down. Of course I did and luckily that was the end of the story. But save yourself the trouble and use legal photos in the first place.
For FREE high-quality photos that are legal to use, I like Unsplash or Pixabay best. Crediting the photographer, while not required, is always appreciated. And when I can’t find what I’m looking for on free photo websites, I like iStock Photo for a near-infinite wealth of photos to purchase. The average cost is $15-$30 per photo (monthly subscriptions are also available for frequent users).
#2: If Your Font isn’t Available for Public Use, Get a License
Regarding fonts, if you built your website on a platform such as Wix, Weebly, or Squarespace and you selected your fonts from a list of options in the website builder, rest assured that your parent company (i.e. Wix, etc.) has purchased the necessary licenses so customers like you can use them. However, if you have a custom website built on WordPress, WebFlow, or another more customizable platform, make sure you’re using fonts available for public use or have obtained a license.
How can you tell if you need a license? If you got your font from a website that clearly states all fonts are free for legal use, like Google Fonts or Font Squirrel (both great options), you are good to go! However, if you got your font from a – shall we say – slightly shadier website such as DaFont, check and see if you need to purchase a license (website font licenses typically cost $50-$300 per font). If you find that you DO need a license, it’s as simple as googling the name of your font and figuring out where you can purchase it.
#3: Don’t Plagiarize (Not Even a Little Bit)
It may seem obvious that plagiarizing (i.e. stealing words/copy) is wrong – after all, we all learned this early on in school. However, over my 15 years as a web designer, I have indeed had experiences where a client thought it was OK to do so, so I decided it was worth bringing up. As mentioned earlier, the online world these days can feel like a bit of a “free for all” – use whatever you find however you like, right? Wrong. Don’t use other people’s words, as tempting as it can be to do so. Do the work and come up with your own words. If you do, I promise your copy will be 100% more authentic and from the heart, and thus it will speak to your audience ten times over. A true win-win. If you’re feeling stuck getting started, remember that you can turn to ChatGPT for initial ideas as long as you rework/rewrite the text completely and put them into your own words and voice.
In Closing
Although some people live and die by the words “ask for forgiveness, not permission,” when it comes to your website, save yourself the trouble. Take the 100% legal route from the beginning and then you’ll never have to worry about it. There are TONS of high-quality and legal-for-use photos and fonts out there, not to mention the endless power of AI. These days, it’s darn easy to do the right thing 🙂
