Social media is the use of websites, and applications to stay socially connected and to share user-generated content on the internet. This content can include images, written works, and reports, among other things. Social networking sites allow for the sharing of different types of media online. This automatically makes social media a battlefield for copyright infringement. The content posted on business profiles are generally posted for marketing purposes. In the process of creating relevant content, businesses tend to ignore the possibility of being sued for using copyrighted material online. As a conscientious business owner, lawsuits for copyright infringement can often be avoided. Here are a few tips to keep in mind to avoid content ownership issues.
1) Receive Permission
The best way to utilize copyrighted content is by seeking the author’s permission. If it is an image that you are using, you can track down the author of the image with the help of the watermark or any link provided. If you receive permission, you can then use that content, give credit the original author and link it with your post. Keep records of the permissions you receive to help you stay out of trouble.
2) Use Images from Public Domain
It is always ideal to use images from sites which have no copyright restrictions. Websites such as Pixabay, Wikimedia commons, Creative commons, Pexels and Feerange, to name a few, offer images for use that do not have copyright restrictions. These sites have images on a plethora of topics which you can use for your content creation purpose. This is a fairly easy way to avoid potential copyright issues.
3) Give Credit
A lot of people think that it is permissible to use copyrighted content by simply giving credit in their post. The truth is, without prior permissions, you can still be sued by the author even if you have given credit to the concerned person in your social media post.
4) Review Ownership Rights on Social Media Pages
All social media pages have certain guidelines on the use of copyrighted content. It’s advisable for you to read through the norms on ownership rights in all your social media profiles. Each social media channel has its own set of rules.
5) Consider Buying Content
Purchasing copyrighted content is a fail-safe way to avoid any kind of legal hassles for your company. It is always better to spend on resources as opposed to paying a fortune to ward off lawsuits and penalties. There are many sites where you can purchase content or a nominal amount. Shutterstock, Bigstock and iStock are some websites which allow you to purchase images for use.
If you want to increase your knowledge on copyright, you can get in touch with our associates at Prowse Barrette LLP.