A great post regarding Pinterest and copyright

[Robert Krausankas (BuddhaPi)]

The Great Pinterest Divide: To Opt Out or Not

There’s no doubt that Pinterest is one of the hottest names in social media right now. The social networking startup, which allows users to “pin” images found from all over the Web, has become wildly popular not only for its ability to attract over 11 million users, but also it’s popularity among women.

http://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2012/02/23/the-great-pinterest-divide-to-opt-out-or-not/

[SoylentGreen]

Great research here!!  Thanks Buddhapi.  This is one to watch.

It's not that there's necessarily a "problem" with "Pinterest".  But, greedy people will see this as a way to "cash-in", and it's going to be a legal nightmare.
Even if "Pinterest" is "harmless", some will try anything to get money from them, even if they've suffered no "damages".

"it involves the copying of the full-size image to Pinterest’s server"?... sounds a lot like PicScout to me.

S.G.

[Robert Krausankas (BuddhaPi)]

Not to mention, the trolls might also like to target the users.

[SoylentGreen]

Yes, it's just a matter of time before social media is inundated with 'claims'.
Bloggers have been heavily targeted already.

I think that cautious people are already beginning to change their names slightly or are using nicknames on social networking sites.
I haven't used my actual name on social media sites for years.
When I do use it, it's simply trolling to mislead people of my whereabouts or activities.

I'm not paranoid or anything, I mainly think that it's amusing.

http://img826.imageshack.us/img826/4633/copyrighttrollingmaster.jpg

"Hear the click... feel the boot... smell the fear... taste the future". lol

S.G.

[Robert Krausankas (BuddhaPi)]

I see some big problems coming to Pinterest as well as users, just a matter of time.. This is another worthy read:

“Member Content” is defined as anything you post, upload, publish, transmit, etc. on the site.  This includes pinning from the web and re-pinning right from Pinterest itself.    I immediately thought of the ridiculously gorgeous images I had recently pinned from an outside website and, while I gave the other photographer credit right in my pin (how many of you do that by the way?  Not that it makes it any more legal, just sayin’….), I most certainly could not think of any way that I either owned those photos or had a license, consent or release from the photographer who owned them.  But did I somehow have a “right” to put them on Pinterest?  “I MUST have that right,” I reasoned, “after all, this is what Pinterest is ALL ABOUT!”

http://ddkportraits.com/2012/02/why-i-tearfully-deleted-my-pinterest-inspiration-boards/

[SoylentGreen]

Thanks for this latest posting.  It's definitely food for thought.  It's plain that Pinerest's business model is flawed.
They state that you shouldn't post your own photos.  However, posting anyone else's photos is likely some sort of copyright infringement.

Additionally, we're beginning to see a trend online and elsewhere wherein fine print is posted that essentially states that those running the business aren't responsible legally or otherwise for anything that happens.  Such as this verbage:

"You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless <insert company name> and its officers, employees, shareholders, directors and suppliers against all claims, liability, damages, costs and expenses, including reasonable legal fees and expenses, arising out of or related to a breach of this Agreement, the use of this site and the use or the inability of use of any Image, your failure to abide by any restriction regarding the use of an Image, or any claim by a third party related to the use of an image."

My reaction is "don't kid yourself".  No statement on a website can prevent a business from every conceivable liability.
Otherwise, we could set up any business that we wanted, do illegal things, and never be held accountable, simply by posting some fine print.
The only thing that such disclaimers often guarantee is a court battle wherein a judge decides whom is liable.

Setting up any "business" that's essentially a conduit for alleged copyright infringements is a very bad idea.

Keep up the great postings, Buddhapi.

S.G.

[bernicem77]

This was a very interesting read. I use pinterest to pin things such as clothes, items to buy for our next house, and recipes. Never even thought that it might come back and haunt me in the future. I will have to see if there is a way to block others from repinning my items, or hiding my wall alltogether.