The Legal and Ethical responsibilities of a Copywriter

The Difference between Copyright and a Copywriter

Copyright protects intellectual property from being stolen. Such as ideas, photos and music. Whereas a Copywriter is a process of creating something of value to a company or organisation. This can be used to promote/ market services or products. 

During a copywriter's career, it is important to understand and maintain cultural awareness. Otherwise, information can become misleading and create an unethical response. Affecting an individual's status and the value of the copy. 

So how do these copywriters maintain a cultural awareness, if so why is it important?

Cultural awareness can affect the way customers perceive marketing messages. Therefore, the material needs to be effective and suitable for a target audience. 

Professional Copywriters Writers will do this by regularly updating their knowledge and Copy on the norms and values of different cultures. This could be more so done if a copy is commercialised nationally. This applies to companies such as Gucci or Tommy Hilfiger. 

Maintaining cultural awareness is so important for copywriters to understand because it means copy can have a more meaningful impact on a target audience. It presents copywriters in a positive light and shows some personal respect for the culture they represent. It is an example of being appreciative of others' beliefs, norms and values, without being interpreted as prejudiced or judgemental. It demonstrates a sense of care and appreciation. 

This is what people look for in copy!

Social awareness

Social awareness is the ability to consider other individuals, groups and cultural perspectives. Then apply that when having an interaction with them. This is important for Copywriters because it shows that the copywriter is on point in what he says and communicates in a way that embellishes the culture's way of speaking. 

What does it mean to ensure fair representation of protected characteristics?

Copywriters should not prevail over the mistreatment of others. They need to maintain the same treatment to others, no matter their age, gender, partnership, disability, race or religion. In Summary, it is about ensuring equality in their copy. Copywriters can do this by justifying or making reasonable adjustments. Therefore, does not oppose discrimination, nor a disadvantage to the groups addressed in the Equality Act of 2010 (The protected characteristics).

Why is it important that copywriters are aware of connotations and alternative readings?

It is important to understand that people can be equivocal (have more than one interpretation). This could result in giving the wrong notion. As a result, the copy could come across as obscene or carry the wrong intentional message. 

Legal constraints copywriters have to adhere to.

Plagiarism: 

Copywriters are responsible for the originality of their content. It is a type of intellectual theft.

Content Accuracy: 

Copywriters need to carry out a valid and factual response. Otherwise, content can be misleading and lead to the defamation of an individual or organisation. To maintain content accuracy, copywriters could check their punctuation and statistics. This could be further verified by a college or client before publishing content. 

 Ethical constraints copywriters have to adhere to. 

Copywriters need to uphold certain principles to be ethical in their writings. These principles include honesty and respect. Michael Masterson, a copywriter in 2011. Described that effective persuasive copywriting had nothing to do with specifications or function. But what benefits does the product or service deliver?

According to MarketSmiths, most consumers are more concerned about the way a product makes them feel than what the product actually does. 

Respectability plays a huge role in how readers find you as a person. Readers are more likely to find you credible and authoritative. This results in readers being more inclined to trust and buy products from you. It's noted that it requires consistency to build on the relationship between the copywriter and the client. 

Key vocabulary used:

Defamation: This can be described as a statement that causes harm to an individual.

Contempt: A manner that is deemed disrespectful. 

Confidentiality: Keeping personal information about an individual or organisation private from other eyes. e.g. Purchases, 

Harassment: The process of inappropriate intimidating behaviour towards another person. This could be through all forms of social media.