Are YOU a thief? I’ve never purposely taken anything that belonged to someone else. However, in these days of Pinterest, Twitter, that “F”word book…photo sharing and use has become increasingly unclear when it comes to intellectual property and legality.
Here’s an example. I recently shared a photo that my former bff texted to me. I’m not sure why in the hell she sent it to me other than the fact that we threw 10 years of Halloween Super Parties and she probably knew I would appreciate her sense of humor. Anyway, I posted it on Twitter. I think (will check) I posted it saying it was a photo from a friend; not my own.
Please Allow Exhibit A:
Imagine my horror…my surprise…my speechless shock (a little) when I saw it reposted on Twitter and the book of faces by my virtual friends and followers…with ZERO attribution. As in, NO ONE so far as I have seen mentioned that it was passed on via me via a friend. It’s all over the freaking place! Even on fb and Twitter profiles of people I don’t know or follow and who don't follow me. Whoa.
Now, clearly this is inconsequential in the scheme of things. We’re all out there sharing stuff. Photos. Stories. Art. Recipes. Other stuff. I really have nothing to gain or lose financially by having friends share my photos and art. But it brings up a fundamental issue. Bottom line. If it’s not yours, don’t “file, save as” and post like you took the photo. It’s not yours. If you’re posting a blog post, just give credit where credit is due. If you're sharing on Twitter or Face Book, disclose it when it's not a photo that was taken by you.
I mean, let’s face it. It’s not likely you’ll end up in the slammer for reposting a picture and not attributing it to the original owner. At most, you’ll usually get a menacing warning to cease and desist.
In the end, no one will probably sue you. We’re kind of the small fish in the sea. It’s not really about that. It’s more about integrity. I mean, it’s not YOURS. Just stick a note below it saying where it came from.Or, that you don't know where it came from if you don't know where it came from.
This is NOT MY PHOTO. I got it from my former bff who got it from a friend who worked at a hospital. And when I’m finished up with this post, I’m going to dig up the text message and find out which hospital, exactly and also try to find the owner who TOOK THE PHOTO. Just because. It’s the right thing to do. Oh, and also it's the law…but that’s a side note.
PS, here are a few great links regarding using images that aren’t yours. Hope it helps. I’m a rule follower so, you’re welcome.
Bloggers, please support the ethical use of digital editing and photo credits.
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