I was asked if it is legal to copy the idea behind a website. For example, if you want to build a job search resource site, would that be a violation of the copyright of other job search sites?
You can't copyright an idea. What can be copyrighted is the realization of that idea. In other words, the HTML, design and content for a job search site would be copyrighted. But the idea behind the site - providing resources for job seekers, cannot be copyrighted.
So if you're hoping to create the next "Google" or believe that you can do the same thing as About.com, only better, you're welcome to try. As long as you don't take the content that Google or About.com have created, you're not violating copyright.
Designs and HTML are Copyrighted
Ideas can't be copyrighted, but designs can. So don't assume that you can copy the look of Google or About.com and not be violating copyright. That includes using an identical design and just changing the colors. Web designs and HTML are protected by copyright.
