‘Best of the Web’ For Protecting Online Portfolios

This month Flintbox welcomes guest blogger Heather Dimson, C4 E-Commerce Coordinator, WORLDiscoveriesTM, The University of Western Ontario. Heather offers tips and resources to fellow Flintbox users on how to protect your online portfolio.

When I first created a business website back in 1996, my highest priority was to make a logo that rotated (it required only four separate images and I considered it animation). After rubbing elbows with innumerable lawyers at the McGill IPIC course Copyright in Internet, Technology and Software last month, my greatest current concern is protecting my online portfolio. I’ve come across some great resources in this quest, including:

• Citizen Media Law Project’s Legal Guide
  Harvard University law students have created a legal guide for anyone who publishes online. If you have a website, you need to read the section on Creating Effective Terms of Use and Privacy Policies.
• Canada Business: E-Business Info-Guide
  The Canadian Government offers this great resource for anyone who wishes to conduct business online. Among the essentials are the Canadian Competition Bureau Canadian Code of Practice for Consumer Protection in Electronic Commerce and ebiz.enable, a training tool leading to even more great links. Even if you don’t offer anything for sale through Flintbox, you should probably familiarize yourself with the basics of the Protection of Personal Information – Your Responsibilities since you may receive identifying information through Flintbox enquiries (if you are a part of a larger organization such as a University, you likely have an overreaching Privacy Policy that you should familiarize yourself with).
• Gowlings Domain Name Law Portal
  A Canadian law firm’s musings on domain names and trademarks. In addition to a (completely boring – did I mention I’m not a lawyer?) compendium of case law on domain name issues, this site offers the e-commerce essentials in the left-hand menus ‘Useful links’ and ‘Internet Tools’. And the Wayback Machine is just plain fun – especially for us geeks who created pathetic animated logos back in ’96.

Why not share your favorite e-commerce links by posting a comment below?

Thanks again to Heather for a great list of resources! If you are interested in guest posting on the Flintbox blog, email us at support@flintbox.com.