How to Help Your Retail Business Avoid Copyright Infringement

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When running a small retail business, there are many things to concern yourself with, from sourcing sustainable products to attracting loyal customers. The last thing you want to be dealing with is a lawsuit or anything else which could cause irreparable harm to your company. That is why you need to put steps in place from the outset to make sure you avoid any instances of copyright infringement. Here is a guide to protecting yourself in this regard.

General Liability Insurance

One absolutely essential way for businesses to safeguard themselves from lawsuits is to have general business liability insurance. Many jurisdictions won’t allow a company to operate unless it has this, as it covers any third party claims made against the business. This can range from property damage to copyright infringement. Of course, you are going to try to avoid copyright completely, but if anything happens accidentally then this insurance will be there to help. With this already taken care of, it allows businesses to focus on the important things. Business owners can grow their business with complete peace of mind.

Music License

If you run a brick and mortar retail establishment, you’re going to need some background music to add to the ambience of the store. But it’s not as simple as just sticking on Spotify over the speakers. Indeed, in a commercial zone, business owners have to be extremely careful about having the right music license. In Canada, business owners need to pay Tariff 15A if they want to play background music in their establishment. This is a blanket license that needs to be renewed every year, and the fee is based on the size of the areas available to the public. On top of this license, business owners need to be sure to pay for the music they wish to play.

There are different laws in place if you want to host live acts at your business, and SOCAN says innovative ideas like this may lead to other tariff payments. Before playing any sounds in-store, it is wise to check with the correct authorities to make sure you are adhering to the law.

Be Careful with Photographs

When it comes to your webpage, take care when adding photographs. According to The Canadian Association of Professional Image Creators, or CAPIC, photographers are the "first owners of the copyright of the images they produce". This means that business owners can take their own photos and use them on their website freely. But when using photos from other sources, they need to get the correct permission from the owner of the image. To be on the safe side, it may be best to just stick with producing your own visual content.

Copyright laws seem like a minefield to navigate, but if you make the proper considerations your business should be safe. As a rule, it is best to try to stick to original content wherever you can, and seek legal help if you are ever unsure about anything.