Can I Put Company Address and Contact Information on a Website?
Full Question:
Answer:
The answer will depend on the precise nature of the information included. Generally, information that's publicly available is allowed to be published, but information that's copyrighted or trademarked, such as a company logo, may require permission for its use. Information that's not publicly available may violate privacy rights. In order to succeed in an invasion of privacy claim, the information revealed must not be publicly available. Often, a website will include a disclaimer for the accuracy or currency of the information contained therein, or state a currency date (i.e., as of 10/27/09). Please see the forms below for examples.
Invasion of privacy is the intrusion into the personal life of another, without just cause, which can give the person whose privacy has been invaded a right to bring a lawsuit for damages against the person or entity that intruded. It encompasses workplace monitoring, Internet privacy, data collection, and other means of disseminating private information. A non-public individual has a right to privacy from: a) intrusion on one's solitude or into one's private affairs; b) public disclosure of embarrassing private information; c) publicity which puts him/her in a false light to the public; d) appropriation of one's name or picture for personal or commercial advantage.
Creating a website involves various legal issues, including, among others, registration of a domain name, and preventing trademark infringement and copyright violations. Websites that allow users to post authored works often include procedures for the users to certify their right to distribute the material, disclaimers regarding the publication of the material on the website, as well as procedures for removing material not properly included. The information submitted may need to be governed by a licensing agreement to be further used by someone other than the author.
If website material is claimed to violate a copyright, the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) actually has very detailed information for web site owners on what to do, how to do it, and how to determine if the complaint is valid. It also protects web site owners in the case of actual copyright infringement, provided you follow the directions. Please see the information at the links below for further discussion:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DMCA
http://www.copyright.gov/legislation/dmca.pdf
