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When A Client 'Directs You To Copy & Paste...

by Greg71
6 replies
  • WEB DESIGN
    • |
Hi.

I'm working on a site for a small business, in the carwash industry. On one of the pages, he has directed me to more or less copy word-for-word, another carwash's page of the same type, because it's "worded nicely".

I don't really care as it means I don't have to think and come up with the content myself, but my question is, am I legally at risk by performing this task, or does the entire responsibility/ liability fall on my client?

Thanks.
#client #copy #directs #paste
  • Profile picture of the author chaotic squid
    I'm not a lawyer and it might be different in your country, but IMO if you know that you're copying someone elses content then you can be held liable too, because you did so knowingly.

    Seriously though, you can't get him to write some of his own content? Or since you're already doing his site, offer to change the wording for a small fee. Hammer down on the importance of having unique content for SEO purposes and to stand out from the competition, not to blend in with the crowd.
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    • Profile picture of the author Greg71
      Originally Posted by chaotic squid View Post

      I'm not a lawyer and it might be different in your country, but IMO if you know that you're copying someone elses content then you can be held liable too, because you did so knowingly.

      Seriously though, you can't get him to write some of his own content? Or since you're already doing his site, offer to change the wording for a small fee. Hammer down on the importance of having unique content for SEO purposes and to stand out from the competition, not to blend in with the crowd.
      Yes, thankyou for your reply. That makes sense to me, I'd be an accessory sort of thing, like the trigger man in a contract killing.

      He's Armenian and I think a bit English-illiterate or ADD or something. I'm like a puppet in his eyes - once he's paid me some money he just lets loose with what he wants like I've got a voice recorder or something.

      I started on the page and was enjoying the process, then he changes his mind on the phone the next day, directing me to a different site to copy from, which means I've just wasted my lunch break and a couple of hours the night before working on his site as it's now all going to change.

      I'm just riding it out, but not rushing to do anything at all. The page is in a mess with unformatted content everywhere. He will know I'm unhappy about something. I was just wary of doing anything with the copying so I haven't gone and done it yet.

      He pays some web company to do organic SEO for him so I don't waste my time with anything SEO unless he sends me some SEO money, know what I'm saying. I had thought of the duplicate content issue but thought, what the heck, he doesn't pay me enough to care.

      This may seem harsh, but I've seen inside his Adwords account which is like 2k a month he's spending there. For the couple hundred here and there I get I do as little as possible.
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  • Profile picture of the author MaryWink
    I would tell him that if he wants you to do something like that, then he needs to copy the page himself and send it to you in a Word doc or something. At least this way you can say you were give the content by the client and not something your scrapped yourself.

    I would also point out to him that for SEO purposes, having duplicate content from a site that is the same business as he is in is NOT a good idea. But of course the choice is his as long as he does the scrapping and not you.

    Cheers,

    Mary
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    • Profile picture of the author Greg71
      After thinking about it, I decided to go ahead and do it, but will gradually reword the items in my spare time. This way I'm just using the structure of services offered. Like this carwash you get this, this and this.

      If they find the page and want to take action, they will contact him, not me. There is nothing connecting me to that site on the site itself. No "site design by..." etc.

      I'm learning a lot of what can happen working with this guy. It's like a free course in dealing with website clients.
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