How to protect your company website

Offering goods and services for a competitive price is the cornerstone of any business. This has always been the case, even before the development of the Internet. However, there is no denying that the online realm has changed the way that most businesses operate. In fact, some studies indicate that over 25% of all business activities are now conducted online. What this means is that protecting your online business assets is extremely important.

Your company website is the entry point for consumers to gain further information about your operations and potentially make purchases. How can this intellectual property asset be legally protected?

Registering your domain

Your domain name is essentially the online equivalent of your company’s street address. Once you have chosen your domain name (Ideally it should be related to the name of your company), you should first check that it is not already in use. This can be done through an approved registrar, which is also where you will register the domain. If, after conducting a search, your domain name is available, you can move on to registering it.

Protecting web content

Once your domain name is registered, it is yours and you will have unique ownership over it. It is not lawful for another company to use the same domain. Yet, you’ll also want to protect the content of your website from intellectual property theft. For example, you may have designed a unique company logo that sets you apart from the competition. This is something that can be protected on your website via copyright laws. While it can be difficult to protect generic web page layouts, if your site uses unique phrases, technology and processes, these can potentially be protected.

The first step toward protecting your web content involves through all of the appropriate registration channels. By seeking legal guidance, you can better ensure that all of these steps are taken.

Having a law firm with experience in business law is vital to protecting your business. Contact us to learn more about how we can help.