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Re:Ask HN: Is it ok to steal a website's design/branding? by gus_massa on Friday March 08, 2019 @07:24AM (#19336923)
It's complicated. More details in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Look_and_feel
Re:Ask HN: Is it ok to steal a website's design/branding? by cimmanom on Friday March 08, 2019 @05:54AM (#19336547)
They’re copyrighted. (And you don’t have to file for a copyright to have one.)

Go ahead and reuse fonts and gradients and design something inspired by someone else’s website. But don’t copy their design in a recognizable way. The latter is both unethical and (in most places) illegal.

Re:Ask HN: Is it ok to steal a website's design/branding? by luckylion on Friday March 08, 2019 @07:11AM (#19336851)
Depends on jurisdiction, and possibly the design, i.e. if it's very artistic it may be protected, if it's a standard theme with a few colors changed it may not be.
Re:Ask HN: Is it ok to steal a website's design/branding? by nickwhite99 on Saturday March 09, 2019 @04:26PM (#19348587)
Are they in the same industry as you / direct competition? Be careful with this...as the last thing you want is a law suit
Re:Ask HN: Is it ok to steal a website's design/branding? by potta_coffee on Friday March 08, 2019 @11:57AM (#19339342)
You can't copy distinctive branding, but there's no way to copyright a color scheme or page layout.
Re:Ask HN: Is it ok to steal a website's design/branding? by enz on Friday March 08, 2019 @06:35AM (#19336688)
Maybe you can just buy a Bootstrap theme?