Legalities of Copying a website

ThatSwissIMGuy

ThatSwissIMGuy

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Jun 17, 2009
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I'm currently considering translating a popular website from English to German and I have no idea what the legalities that surround that are. Has anyone done something similar?

I would obviously contact the owner of the websiteand I would NOT copy any of the websites content, just the idea behind it.

As far as I can see, that would not violate any copy write laws or anything similar right?

Thanks in advance.
 


One of the most frequently cited protections of copyright law is that of "derivative work." You might get away with it or you might get sued.

A “derivative work” is a work based upon one or more preexisting works, such as a translation, musical arrangement, dramatization, fictionalization, motion picture version, sound recording, art reproduction, abridgment, condensation, or any other form in which a work may be recast, transformed, or adapted. A work consisting of editorial revisions, annotations, elaborations, or other modifications which, as a whole, represent an original work of authorship, is a “derivative work”.
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US CODE: Title 17,101. Definitions
 
ThatSwissIMGuy said:
I would obviously contact the owner of the websiteand I would NOT copy any of the websites content, just the idea behind it.
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What exactly are you copying then? The content is the only thing worth stealing unless you want to mock the UI. If you want to use the niche concept but in German, you don't need to tell anyone anything. I wouldn't. Most people don't like competition.
 
guerilla said:
What exactly are you copying then? The content is the only thing worth stealing unless you want to mock the UI. If you want to use the niche concept but in German, you don't need to tell anyone anything. I wouldn't. Most people don't like competition.
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I would just copy the actual idea of the website. So for example, I'd make a forum for internet marketer in German very similar to WF.

The website is much more unique though and nothing like it exists so far in German (although it exists twice in english) so it would be fairly easy to tell it's a copy.

I was considering the implications of contacting the owner and I'm now thinking of not doing that simply for the reason that I don't want to give them the idea to translate it themselfs.

I'm thinking it wouldn't be an issue unless I take content (which is very unique and fairly easy to recognize from the website and just translate it.
 
Why not make a whole new website with unique content in German using the idea, and not copy any content at all? Doing that, you should be OK. Ideas are not protected - the expression of ideas are protected.
 
BlueYonder said:
Why not make a whole new website with unique content in German using the idea, and not copy any content at all? Doing that, you should be OK. Ideas are not protected - the expression of ideas are protected.
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Yeas that's what I'm planning to do.

Thanks guys!
 
i'd say do it and pull it if a C&D arrives in your email.

<disclaimer>
i'm not a lawyer, use at your own risk lol
</disclaimer>
 
A “derivative work” is a work based upon one or more preexisting works, such as a translation, musical arrangement, dramatization, fictionalization, motion picture version, sound recording, art reproduction, abridgment, condensation, or any other form in which a work may be recast, transformed, or adapted. A work consisting of editorial revisions, annotations, elaborations, or other modifications which, as a whole, represent an original work of authorship, is a “derivative work”.
Click to expand...

Is copying html, css and jscript structure of a website with slight changes illegal?
Ps: The original site will realize the stealing.
 
If you copy a website as it is, then yes :) If you just need to look up a technique in some CSS file or whatever and then write your own solution, you can do that.
 
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