Copyright Issue and Web Design

Greetings!

My project leader wants me to create a website that is strikingly
similar to a website he likes. We will use our own content and we will
create the site from scratch using our own HTML and our own graphics.
Should we be concerned about using a very similar layout and some of the
same colors or are we safe as long as we don't steal their content or
HTML code?

Thanks,


--
Jerry

Jerry wrote:
> Greetings!
>
> My project leader wants me to create a website that is strikingly
> similar to a website he likes. We will use our own content and we will
> create the site from scratch using our own HTML and our own graphics.
> Should we be concerned about using a very similar layout and some of the
> same colors or are we safe as long as we don't steal their content or
> HTML code?

Most websites share similair layout, there isn't too many options -
unless its something radical like a spiral ...

In article <UoRde.382$8g.158@news01.roc.ny>, Jerry says...
> Greetings!
>
> My project leader wants me to create a website that is strikingly
> similar to a website he likes. We will use our own content and we will
> create the site from scratch using our own HTML and our own graphics.
> Should we be concerned about using a very similar layout and some of the
> same colors or are we safe as long as we don't steal their content or
> HTML code?

Without being a legal expert I'd say as long as you don't copy the HTML
code it should be fine. Perhaps don't make a site which looks exactly
the same - put in some creativity and try to make it better.
--

Alfred Molon

http://www.molon.de/Galleries.htm - Photos from China, Myanmar, Brunei,
Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Nepal, Egypt, Germany, Austria,
Prague, Budapest, Singapore and Portugal

Jerry <jabeach@DONT_SPAM_ME_citlink.net> wrote in news:UoRde.382$8g.158
@news01.roc.ny:

> Greetings!
>
> My project leader wants me to create a website that is strikingly
> similar to a website he likes. We will use our own content and we will
> create the site from scratch using our own HTML and our own graphics.
> Should we be concerned about using a very similar layout and some of the
> same colors or are we safe as long as we don't steal their content or
> HTML code?

Looking at something, then doing something like it, is usually safe. The
only time that a "looks just like mine" has EVER even made it to court was
when the appearance was purposely misleading, such as having the same logo
but spelling it "Coka Cola". I dont see how "same look to steal my
business" can apply to web sites.

Gandalf Parker

In article <UoRde.382$8g.158@news01.roc.ny>,
jabeach@DONT_SPAM_ME_citlink.net says...
> Greetings!
>
> My project leader wants me to create a website that is strikingly
> similar to a website he likes. We will use our own content and we will
> create the site from scratch using our own HTML and our own graphics.
> Should we be concerned about using a very similar layout and some of the
> same colors or are we safe as long as we don't steal their content or
> HTML code?
>
> Thanks,
>
>
>
So many websites resemble each other - whether intentional or not, that
I think as long as the text and the majority of the code is different,
there should not be a copyright issue.

Gandalf Parker wrote:
> Jerry <jabeach@DONT_SPAM_ME_citlink.net> wrote in news:UoRde.382$8g.158
> @news01.roc.ny:
>
>
>>Greetings!
>>
>>My project leader wants me to create a website that is strikingly
>>similar to a website he likes. We will use our own content and we will
>>create the site from scratch using our own HTML and our own graphics.
>>Should we be concerned about using a very similar layout and some of the
>>same colors or are we safe as long as we don't steal their content or
>>HTML code?
>
>
> Looking at something, then doing something like it, is usually safe. The
> only time that a "looks just like mine" has EVER even made it to court was
> when the appearance was purposely misleading, such as having the same logo
> but spelling it "Coka Cola". I dont see how "same look to steal my
> business" can apply to web sites.

I forgot to mention that the site I'm building and the site it's
supposed to be modeled from are both non-profits with the sole purpose
of providing information and resources. Probably not very court-worthy.


--
Jerry

Charles Sweeney wrote:

> Toby Inkster wrote
>
>> Oooh. Now *there's* a challenge! An accessible, valid spiral layout.
>
> I was quite pleased with this circular one I did:
>
> http://charlessweeney.com/circle.htm

Nice idea!

> Not very accessable though!

Not too difficult to do in a (more or less) accessible non-JavaScript
way either ;-)

--
Els http://locusmeus.com/
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