Difference between revisions of "Writing for Business Success/Effective business writing/Legal implications 1"

Read Words and your legal responsibility from Chapter 4.5 in Saylor Academy's Business Communication for Success. (You do not need to do the exercises at the end of the reading.) This reading discusses how business communications are governed by laws and ethical considerations.

Because laws and perceptions of ethical standards vary between countries and cultures, we strongly encourage you to research the relevant laws and consider the ethics that apply to business writing in the country or region where you are planning to do business. With the expansion of global and e-business enterprises, it is critical to develop knowledge and skills to communicate effectively across cultural borders.

On this page, we simply highlight three aspects of law which are widely relevant to business communications, with some examples from different countries.

False or misleading claims Businesses must be honest with consumers about their own products and services - and must not make false claims about their competitors. This web-page on False or misleading claims produced by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) provides a good overview of the types of business behaviour that are against the law in this context.

Note that in Australia exactly the same laws apply to communications via social media as on other forms of communication: Social Media (ACCC). In addition, a business can be held responsible for misleading comments made by others on their business's social media pages.

• Are there similar laws in your country or region?

Defamation

Defamation is a false statement that damages someone's reputation, and can result in being sued. In general terms, 'libel' is the word used for written defamation and 'slander' for spoken defamation.

• What are the laws on defamation in your country or region?
• Can you find a

Plagiarism To avoid plagiarism, always record information on sources in your preparatory research, and always credit sources in all aspects of your writing, including any images or graphics you use.

To avoid problems, before publishing your work, especially on the Internet, take time to familiarize with current intellectual property definitions, copyright attribution requirements, and global writing standards. These learning resources are a good starting point:

Copyright Information Resources

• Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL): How to avoid plagiarism.
• World Intellectual Property Organization – What is Intellectual Property.
• Attributing Creative Commons Materials – Best Practices.

Global Writing Standards Learning Aids

• The International Association of Business Communicators – Six Principles of the Communication Profession
• New Media Rights – Tips on How to Avoid Online Libel