Stealing is something very common in Web design. People are always being inspired by the clever things they see on Web sites, and then going and trying to reproduce a form of them on their own site. Although a lot of this is just a evolution of Web deign, there is definitely a line that shouldn’t be crossed.
A designer should never steal another site’s complete design or concept. While little things throughout the site might inspire similar functions you want to produce, make sure to implement a good chunk of your own creativity as well. It’s okay to be inspired, but that’s as far as it should go. Never steal someone else’s code, or mirror their design. An article from SitePoint describes this rule of stealing in simple terms: it’s okay to steal the inspiration, but not the outcome.
If you find yourself in a situation where you feel someone has been “inspired” by your Web site a little too much, there are actions you can take to try and take back what’s yours. It’s good to be a little forgiving, after all, imitation is the greatest form of flattery. But if the offending site is obviously ripping off what you worked so hard for, it’s time to do something about it.
A great article was published on Freelance Switch concerning what to do if someone steals you work, and it’s a good place to start when trying to build up defenses around your content.
The first suggestion in the article can seem a little amateurish, but that means it may be effective against those amateur thieves who are looking for good content to steal. At the end of everything you create and own online, you can put a phrase that lets everyone know that your content has copyrights, and that it isn’t okay to steal the content without your permission.
If you need tog o further than a simple warning on your Web sites, you can always send a cease and desist request, or contact a lawyer if you want things to get messy. Make sure to examine what the damages are that were caused by the infringement, and if they are small, then it might be best just to let some stuff slide.
Here’s what not to do when being “inspired”:
