Copyright is a slippery slope on social media. After all, sharing is not only an established element of social media, it’s encouraged by the platforms and even by content creators. Yet, as hazy as it is, there is a point at which you can cross the line from sharing content to outright stealing someone else’s content. Those kinds of copyright violations can spell deep trouble for individuals and businesses alike. If you want to avoid this kind of trouble, keep reading for some social media marketing tips to avoid violations.
One of the easiest and most reliable ways you can avoid problems is by reaching out to the original creator. In many cases, they’ll permit you to use their work as long as you properly credit it to them. This lets you avoid things like lawsuits from the original creator and keeps you in the clear with the platform itself. It’s important to note that simply crediting someone isn’t sufficient coverage to avoid getting sued. You need that permission ahead of time.
Photo from Pexel
One of the easiest places you can slip up in terms of copyright is with images. Images make the rounds on social media in a big hurry. If you’ve seen the same image used a bunch of times, it’s easy to assume that it’s fair use if you snag it. That is a risky play. It’s better to look for images that are in the public domain or contain no copyright restrictions.
Another place where businesses and individuals go wrong is with music. Much like the written word, music enjoys copyright from the moment it is created. Even if the creator doesn’t mark it as copyrighted, it still is. If you want to use music for your social media posts, look for royalty free music for marketing. While not free, you can access this kind of music for a modest subscription fee.
Social media sites are well aware that copyright violations are a problem. The trouble for individual posters is that social media sites themselves are rarely sued for copyright violations with rare exceptions. In most cases, the original creators go after individual posters. On top of that, most sites set out a copyright infringement policy for everyone as part of their user agreements. Make sure you check those rules before you post. As a general guideline, those rules will typically state that you can’t use someone else’s work and place all the consequences for it on you.
If the prospect of copyright infringement truly worries you, you can always purchase the content outright on sites that offer those services. You can find them for images, music, and even video content. When you purchase or even commission the work, you hold the copyright. If you commission the work, however, make sure part of the agreement is that the artist surrenders the copyright to you. Owning the copyright lets you create derivative versions of the work down the road without needing to compensate the original creator for the derivative work.
The most direct -- but not necessarily easiest -- way you can avoid copyright violations is by creating all of your content in-house. That means that you only post content that you or an employee wrote, photographed, recorded, or filmed yourself. You own the copyright for all of that work from word go, so you can’t get sued for it unless you plagiarized something from someone else. This isn’t always a popular method because it’s often work-intensive or requires a skill set you or your employees don’t possess.
Granted, most original creators don’t spend all of their time on social media looking to sue people who stole their work. They’ll often send a cease-and-desist letter before escalating to a lawsuit. If you pull down the content, that’s usually the last you’ll hear of it. Nonetheless, it is their right to sue you if you co-opt their work for your social media marketing efforts. If you’re really worried about it, you can bone up on copyright over at the U.S. Copyright Office website or a similar office in your country. They have several resources that will help you get a handle on copyright regulations.
