With the growth of social media, conventional publishing has seen significant changes. Over the years, more and more people are venturing into the world of personal publishing via blogging. Not only has blogging helped to grow the online presence of individuals, but also it has become one of the sources people use to acquire news. Blogging is also crucial for businesses who would like to stay relevant online, as it enables the companies to inform as well as engage their current and potential customers. Nonetheless, although blogging is a way to distribute your opinions and information, it does not mean it is free for all. Here are a few of the legal issues that every blogger should be familiar with.

Trademark protection

A trademark refers to a logo or a name that represents a brand. As a blogger, you have the legal right to ensure that other individuals do not make use of your blog for their own personal or business gain. If a person or a company does infringe on your trademark, you have the right to seek monetary compensation. A misconception some people have about trademarks is that they have to be registered for them to be eligible for legal protection. The truth of the matter is that trademarks that are not registered are still protected under common law. Therefore, it would be prudent to ensure that any brand names or logos that you use to represent your blog are original.

Copyright law

In years past, people considered copyright law only to protect tangible works and creations of individuals. With the advent of blogging, copyright law also includes the protection of online content producers. It should be noted that it is not necessary for a blogger to seek out a patent to have their work protected, as copyright protection is an automatic provision in Australia. Therefore, if you end up purposely or mistakenly reproducing the work of someone else on your blog, you would be subject to legal action. Therefore, if you are looking to republish content from another source, it is best to seek permission beforehand from the original author.

Moral rights

In addition to copyright protection, bloggers have exclusive rights to their original works. This exclusivity to their work means they have the moral right to have other bloggers identify them as the original author of any of their work that has been republished. In addition to this, moral rights also give the original blogger the right not to have their work misrepresented.

For more information, contact a local lawyer.