It is legal to recreate elements similar to those on another site using custom code. Using a website template means there will be thousands of other sites similar to yours and you have no rights to the source code. A custom website gives you ownership of your unique design, and another site cannot legally copy it.
Is copying a website design illegal?
At first glance, it may seem as if its perfectly legal to copy content from a website. But is it? The short answer to this question is no, unless youve obtained the authors permission. In fact, virtually all digital content enjoys the same copyright protections as non-digital, offline content.
You may duplicate information on a website, but within limits. So long as the copy that you are making is for personal use, you do not further distribute the material, and you make no “for-profit” use of the material, then you are in a safe haven under federal copyright law.
How do I copy an article from a website without copyright?
Here are the best options you have for using photos that will not get you into copyright trouble:Use the creative commons search functions on Google Image Search and Flickr search.Use your own original images.Buy images through a service like Shutterstock.com or iStock.com.More items •11 Jul 2011