Copyright or wrong: how to source materials online without getting into strife
From Pinterest to Instagram – there’s content everywhere, but just because it’s in the public domain doesn’t mean we have the right to use it. Lawyer Sharon Givoni takes us through “unconscious copying”, freelance content, the 10% rule and why you don’t need to register copyright to own it.
Imagine the following scenarios:
- You create a new logo concept for your client, inspired by an image you sourced online. From your perspective, you were merely inspired and you’ve changed it by more than 10%, so it’s ok to use right? Wrong.
- You create a mood board to promote your brand by reproducing images downloaded from Instagram and upload this on your website. You think that this is fine to do under copyright law. Is it though? Unless you have permission to use those images, the answer could be no.
- You post on your Instagram profile some intricate lettering you created for a client and then you are surprised when your client requests you take it down. But I created it, so I own it right (you think)? Well, not always. It would generally depend on what was agreed to and whether you transferred copyright to your client.
All of these situations give rise to copyright issues that can trap creative business people inadvertently.
Some basics
Key points you should know are:
