Hi Thinkers, Hi Doers!
We at vakilsearch get frequent requests which go like:
“I have an idea for a website. The idea unique and no one is doing it right now. How can I protect it”?
We carried a post on Next Big What here. I’d like to summarize it for everyone out here:
1. A mere ‘idea’ can NOT be protected legally. If you can keep it a ‘trade secret’, best of luck for that!
2. You can protect the original text/content, images/art/videos and the code of your website via a copyright.
2.a. A copyright is granted, to use a loose term, ‘automatically’, when you publish such a work. You do NOT need to register or pay vakilsearch for your copyright registration!
2.b. However, copyright registration can serve:
- as a notice to the world about the date of the creation of the work (on which the duration of the copyright depends) and
- as a declaration of your being the owner of the work.
So, in case you are seriously into doing creative stuff or think you have some code at hand which could change the world, do go for a copyright protection.
3. The position patenting of computer related inventions in India is still unclear. The government is doing its bit on this, though. Will do a post once this becomes clear.
4. If you have a co-founder, partner, investor for your website make sure the NDA and other contracts you enter with him/her have clear terms. Vague contracts can NOT be enforced in a court of law.
PS- please note that for the sake of simplicity, I’ve used some ‘legally loose’ language. Excuse me for that. Comments and queries are welcome!
