Dear Gritty VA:
I am in the works of getting my Virtual Assistant business together. Many of the resources I am going to offer to my target market include papers from other sites that I either pay yearly subscriptions for or can have free subscriptions (thinks like plans, articles, worksheets, etc.). Is that legal: getting paid for something I put together for another person with materials from another site? And if so, how do I validate that? –TJ
Thanks for your question. If I understand correctly, what you want to do is republish content (intellectual property) that you’ve obtained or subscribed to, but which you don’t own and didn’t write or create. Is that correct?
If that’s the case, what you’ll need to do is ask each individual source what you are allowed to do with their content under the license and terms of use you were granted. In the case of subscription-based sources, don’t be surprised if they do not allow you to do that. The idea is that each end-user is supposed to pay for their own subscription. If you disseminate (often you’ll see the word “transfer” used) information/intellectual property that they expect to be paid for, you are depriving them of rightful income. They could seek legal action against you if they find you transferring data in any way that is not permissible under their licensing/subscription agreement.
Now, there are some resources that deal in PLR (privately labeled rights) that will allow you to use their content in the manner you are intending. But again, each is going to have their own protocols, policies, fees, licensing and terms of use so be sure you contact each individually to make sure you don’t open yourself up to any liability.
PS: Just a little disclaimer here, I’m not an attorney obviously. None of this should be construed as legal advice, only as my personal knowledge, experience and understanding of these issues as a longtime businessperson. Always, always consult an attorney for the final word and advice when it comes to legal matters.
