| A real home based Internet business has to comply | | | | field with the U.S. copyright office. This will effectively |
| with the same legal regulations as an Internet | | | | record ownership of the contents of the site, as well |
| business from any other location. Here are the basic | | | | as its look and its feel. |
| legal issues with which a real home based Internet | | | | Your site's domain name is an important part of the |
| business owner must be familiar. | | | | branding and marketing for your Internet business. It |
| The first issue, and a real concern for any home | | | | is best to tie that domain name as closely as possible |
| based Internet business is the restriction based on | | | | to your logo, your brand and your business name. |
| age. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) | | | | Carefully choose a domain name that clearly conveys |
| follows the regulations spelled out in COPPA, the | | | | the products or services of your real home based |
| Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, and requires | | | | Internet business. Register your domain name as a |
| that children under the age of 13 cannot disclose their | | | | trademark and you can retain ownership should it be |
| personal information unless a parent consents to it. | | | | challenged by another business. |
| Children under the age of 18 cannot be allowed to | | | | If your site is on the World Wide Web then you |
| view adult content on the Internet, nor can they | | | | must comply with export regulations. If you sell |
| enter into any contract. | | | | goods over the Internet to these global consumers |
| Real time occurrences on the Web, such as chats, | | | | then you are exporting items for sale and entering |
| must be controlled by the home based Internet | | | | into international countries. If your site is encrypted |
| business owner. Bulletin boards would have the same | | | | then you are exporting to other countries U.S. |
| control issues. The rules of using each should solicit | | | | Department of Commerce and Defense technology. |
| and retain the consent of each online user to refrain | | | | There are many U.S. federal agencies that have |
| from posting pornography, defamatory material or | | | | regulations in force for doing business with other |
| anything that infringes on others' rights. Your | | | | countries, and the times and circumstances that |
| company should also clearly state on its site that you | | | | require a firm to get an export license to send |
| are not liable for other users that commit to following | | | | information, technology or goods abroad. |
| your policies and guidelines but subsequently violating | | | | There are countries with whom business transactions |
| them. | | | | are limited severely for U.S. firms. These countries |
| To make real your ownership of all property and | | | | are Cuba, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Syria and |
| content on your home based business Internet site | | | | Yugoslavia. The best decision about the real problems |
| you'll need a copyright notice on the site's footer. | | | | you might encounter for your home based Internet |
| The notice should have the date and your name and | | | | business doing business with these countries and/ or |
| the statement "All rights reserved." A real copy of | | | | its residents should be made with your attorney. |
| your home based business Internet site should be | | | | |