Can you Copyright A Piczo Syte?

Question

I have a piczo syte [_www.cupcakecontests.piczo.com_] For those of you who dont know what a piczo syte is well its a place to create your own free websyte. Now i recentely started a club on my syte, with like recipes and stufff, and a fellow piczo user told me that someone was watching me, as the 'club' idea was copyright to them, and if i didnt ask permission that they could shut my syte or have it deleted. Now is this possible, like come on its a place with millions of sytes, millions of people use piczo. So tell me is it possible to copyright an idea like that and could they have my syte shut or deleted? and if so where do you go to copyright your piczo ideas? i wrote a letter to piczo themselves and i never had a reply. thank you in advance

Answer 1

Piczo assumed your information and images are copyrighted and warn of copying from other piczo users.(more below)

If you want to copyright your own website this will cost you a fee you can purchase your own URL online or often through the postal office as well. Shop around and look in your yellow pages under Internet or Website etc. Many places offer your own URL and Web-hosting together, also your ISP, you can copy your website on Piczo, and clone it to your new site, without using anything that may go against their Terms. I have included some below, as well as the link for you. Good luck!

Piczo Terms;

8. Backup Copies. You should not rely on Funtigo as your only source for the material you provide. You should backup copies of any digital information you have uploaded.

Funtigo is not obligated to maintain backup copies of any material submitted or posted on Piczo.

9. Proprietary Rights. Users agree that Funtigo is granted a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license, with the right to reproduce, distribute, transmit, display any materials and other information you submit to the Piczo Service. Funtigo disclaims ownership of the materials you upload to the Piczo Service and will not resell or otherwise convey these rights to any third party. You shall have absolutely no recourse against Funtigo as the system provider for any alleged or actual infringement of any proprietary rights to which you may claim ownership.

10. Marks and Copyright. Funtigo and all graphics, logos and service names used to identify Funtigo's products and services are trademarks or service marks of Funtigo Corporation. Third party trademarks or service marks used in connection with this service are the property of their respective owners. You may not use any trademark or service mark in connection with any product or service without the express permission of the owner of that mark.

You should assume that the content of the Web pages created by Funtigo customers is protected by copyright or other proprietary rights. You are not entitled to duplicate, create derivative works of, distribute, display or perform any content without the express permission of the owner of that content.

Answer 2

It is not possible to protect ideas but rather the representation of that idea. Do you know what exactly this other company or person is talking about? The content of the site? The look of the site? Without knowing further details, it's hard to know what's meant by "club" idea.

You can read what the US Copyright Office has to say about protecting online works here: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ66.html

Hope that helps!