Writing for Business Success/Effective business writing/Legal implications 2

On this page, we continue our introduction to the legal implications of business writing by giving a brief overview of:
 * copyright,
 * trademarks, and
 * contract law.

Again, it is important to be aware that different countries have different legal systems and different laws, although there may be similarities between groups of countries. For example, countries like Canada, New Zealand, and Australia have legal systems that are based on traditional English law, called 'common law'. There are still many similarities between these countries' laws today. By contrast, most European countries use a system of law called 'civil law', in which the primary source of law is a legal 'code' which states general legal principles. Other countries may have totally different legal systems, based on their own religions, cultures, and/or traditions. There may also be variations in laws within countries; for example, if a country has a federal system of governance, constituent states or provinces may be able to enact their own laws.

The concepts outlined here are very brief, introductory generalisations; it is very important to check the precise laws in the country or countries where your business is operating.