Can I copy the terms and conditions from a similar site?

Question

I was wondering if it's legal to copy the terms and conditions page from a very similar site? I would replace the name, address, and other identifying information.

Solution

Copying from other sources without permission is copyright infringement and not legal unless:

• The text is public domain (which wouldn't be in this case)
• Or you get permission (you could always ask the other site)
• Or your use of it would be considered "fair use". (changing it and using it on your site would not be fair use)

In the case of terms and conditions, there is no good reason to copy from another site. There are many sites that will let you generate your own terms and conditions and then give you permission to use them. I would search for "terms and conditions generator" or something similar.

You also tagged your post as "duplicate content". Google was specifically asked if there are penalties for duplicate content because of "terms and conditions". Matt Cutts answered this in a video. A few pages of duplicate content is not going to hurt your site.