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Is That Free Offer Legit? Tips that Can Help
Everyone loves the chance to cash in some great free stuff, but navigating the world of freebie offers, especially online, can be like navigating a minefield. Unfortunately, a lot of people out there use the love others have of taking advantage of free deals to scam them out of money or personal details that can be used in identity theft scams. All of this gloom and doom doesn’t mean that you have to give up on free things altogether, however. The good news is that there are some simple, common sense steps you can take protect yourself from online freebie scammers. These tips will help give you the confidence that you can enjoy taking advantage of free offers without the fear of ending up facing some negative consequences.
First and foremost, when you are checking out a free offer on the Internet, take a closer look at the website, beyond just reading the words and figuring out what you have to do get the free goods. Does the website look like it was made by a professional, with some consideration, or does it look like a five minute amateur job? Are typos and clip art the order of the day, or does it look like a website any business would be proud to call its own? What about the web address – is a domain name that matches the business the website claims to represent, or is a “free” domain address that includes the name of the domain company in the address? All of these factors can be red flags that determine the difference between a scam and a legitimate free offer. If the website looks half hearted or doesn’t seem to exactly “match” the company it purports to represent, then don’t even think about trying to get anything from it.
When you’re reasonably sure that the website is actually the front of a legitimate business, it’s time to turn your attention to the privacy policy of the website. The best privacy policies guarantee you that the email address you use to sign up for this offer will not be shared with any other companies – but when it comes to free stuff, those kinds of privacy policies are few and far between. Many companies cover the costs of the free things you get by selling your email address to other companies that may have offers you they think you might be interested in. If you can’t find a privacy policy that lets you opt out of getting unwanted solicitations, at least make sure the site is secure and that any personal information can’t be obtained by hackers.
Other things to look out for when you’re looking for freebies is products that are free but that require you to pay a shipping charge that seems beyond the pale for what it should cost to ship and freebie offers that seem to ask for way more information than needed for what the product actually is. Twenty pages of personal information for a travel size bottle of shampoo? That doesn’t make sense, and it should set off warning bells in your head.
All of these red flags aside, giving out some amount of personal information comes part and parcel with freebie offers. There are a few things you can do to make life easier on yourself. Set up an email account that you will use specifically for freebie offers so all of the inevitable spam doesn’t clog up your main account. Use a phony phone number (preferably one that can’t be anyone else’s, like one that starts with 555). Last but not least, if you’re unsure about an offer, keep on moving. Better safe than sorry.
Copyright lawyer complaints Complaints, Copyright Lawyer Complaints and Clients There are many copyright lawyer complaints, from both the lawyer and clients, but here is a list of what are the most popular. That’s right clients aren’t the only one that can have a complaint, even lawyers get them. Imagine working in an office all day representing people. You have to deal with the worse crowd some days, other days are a piece of cake, but it is the person that comes in demanding that you get them what they want right then and there. This person gets mad once the lawyer explains the process and ends up storming out of the office. Now the lawyer is left, angry and without pay. Wouldn’t this fall under a copyright lawyer complaints? As a client you have the choice of picking another lawyer; however a lawyer doesn’t have this option. They need you in order for them to get paid; they aren’t going to turn you down just because you are a bit obnoxious. Another copyright lawyer complaint may also be towards the clients, lawyers hate to work a case that others have already tried…or worse one that the client has tried himself without legal representation. To avoid this, hire a lawyer before you go to court. Don’t think you are an expert in the field just because you read a few articles or have seen a few cases on copyrighting on the television. One of the biggest copyright lawyer complaints is that the client didn’t know that the lawyer was going to charge something. This is one reason you should find out before agreeing to anything what it is you, as a client, will be paying. You don’t want to find out after the trial that you owe a huge amount of money to a lawyer that you don’t have the cash for. A copyright lawyer complaint may be that their client doesn’t have the proof they need for a case. This can be easily solved by the client if they took the proper precautions, however chances are they didn’t or they wouldn’t be needing a lawyer. Try keeping all your work in a safe place with dates stamped on them to prove when they were created. This doesn’t guarantee you that you will win a case but it can help your lawyer. Last, you, as the client didn’t know much about your copyright lawyer, complaints were filed against him in the past but you had no knowledge of them. Maybe he just lost your case because he gets angry at the drop of a hat and just showed it in the courtroom, or maybe he just didn’t return your phone calls and you had no clue when you had to be at a hearing. This will only fall back on you for not looking into him/her enough. There are a ton of resources out there, use them. Don’t just pick the first name you see. If you think that you have a case against your lawyer you can always file a claim. The best way to avoid copyright lawyer complaints is by making sure both parties are satisfied with the experience. If you are the lawyer, find out in the first meeting what your client expects of you and as a client find out what it is your lawyer will be doing for you so you don’t make assumptions. Making sure everyone has a clear understanding of what shall take place is the only way to have the best experience. Remember, a happy client means a returning client and more customers. But a client with a bunch of copyright lawyer complaints is bad for business. Copyright Law Act The Copyright Law Act of 1976 The Copyright Law Act of 1976 is the basis of the United States copyright laws. The Copyright Law Act states the rights of copyright owners, the doctrine of the fair use copyright laws and it changed the term life of copyrights. Before the Copyright Law Act the law had not been revised since 1909. It was necessary that the copyright laws be revised to take into account technological strides that were being made in radio, sound recordings, motions pictures and more. The Copyright Law Act of 1976 preempted all previous laws that were on the books in the United States, including the Copyright Act of 1909. The Copyright Law Act of 1976 defines “works of authorship” to include all of the following: * Musical works * Literary works * Dramatic works * Pictorial, sculptural and graphics * Motion Pictures and Audiovisuals * Sound Recordings * Choreographic Works and Pantomimes * An eighth work which falls under “architectural works” was later added in 1990. What is unique about the United States copyright law is that it is automatic. Once someone has an idea and produces it in tangible form, the creator is the copyright holder and has the authority to enforce his exclusivity to it. In other words, the person is the owner of the creation. It is not necessary that a person register their work. However, it is recommended and it can serve as evidence if someone ever violates a copyright. It is interesting to note that when an employer hires an employee to produce a work that the copyright is given to the employer. Violations of US Copyright Law are generally enforced in a civil court setting. However, there could also be criminal sanctions brought against someone who violates US copyright law. Someone that is in serious violation of US Copyright Law such as counterfeiting can find themselves on the inside of prison looking out. People need to understand that the copyright symbol is not a requirement. Someone may have a copyright, yet their work may not have a copyright notice or symbol. US Copyright Law covers a wide range of things that are derived from artistic expression, intellectual or creative work. This includes things such as literary works, music, drawings, photographs, software, movies, choreographic works such as ballets and plays, poems, paintings and more. The law covers the form of expression, not the concept, facts or the actual idea of the work. This means that someone can use another person’s idea or concept and produce their own take on it. However, copying another person’s work is a violation. It should be noted that some things may not be copyrighted but they may be protected by a patent or trademark. Individuals who have a copyright on a particular piece of work can do with it what they will. They may choose to copy it and sell it. They may display their work or perform it in public and charge admission, or they can assign or sell the work to someone else. Individuals who have a copyright can also choose to do nothing with their work, if that is their desire. However, if someone comes along and takes the work and tries to use it in some way, that person is still in violation of the owner’s copyright. The Copyright Law Act covers published and unpublished work. |