Credit: Jayme Soulati
As soon as I heard about the copyright-pinning snafu from this highly popular new channel, I stopped pinning. As a professional who works with lawyers to protect intellectual property rights (which include all images), I have no desire to get caught up in a copyright mêlée.
I paid attention as the Pinterest founders hammered out their new strategy for pinners, and then yesterday, I just shook my head at the obvious lack of clarity about the entire platform.
The Wall Street Journal on March 27 ran a piece, “In Shift, Pinterest Says to Pin Your Own Stuff.” Indeed.
The beauty of Pinterest as a visually appealing channel has been the freedom to grab an image that resonates, create a board, and share with the world. And it cascades from there…I wonder if the pins I posted with bridges in the rain forest of Borneo came from National Geographic?
Could National Geographic file a lawsuit against every single pinner who posted an image without permission on their boards? Hmmm, I don’t think so, but, it’s not worth the aggravation.
So, in a nutshell, here’s the recap from yesterday’s story in the almighty Wall Street Journal:
- Self-promotion is now the new normal on Pinterest. Do you recall at all when Pinterest informed companies they couldn’t promote themselves by pinning images of their own products? Guess that’s now a reversal, and companies are encouraged to pin away.
Outcome: Pinterest will become another advertising billboard and followers will likely yawn unless they’re already brand loyal.
- The best way for us to avoid copyright conflict is to pin material we either create or have permission to use. Really? I don’t know about you, but I’m not sitting around all day creating cool photo-shopped images to share on my boards. Maybe the photos I took of my blooming spring flowers would make a nice Flowers In My Garden board, but who has the time to go to that trouble and for what gain? And, how does one go about getting permission to use an image…if you’ve ever attempted that, you know it’s a nightmare.
Outcome: Pinners’ excitement will wane with the new self-create images mantra and the necessity to get permission.
- New “Pin Etiquette” rules and principles take effect April 6 and are designed to be simpler, encourage authenticity and invite long-term happiness at Pinterest.
Outcome: I am reasonably astute in legal matters as I manage all litigation for a client. That said, the new etiquette rules have been created to appease all legal teams and for Pinterest’s ultimate survival. What has in fact occurred is a dampening of enthusiasm for pinners to freely pin (with all due respect to the pin-ees) images that delight.
I don’t know about you, but I may withdraw completely from Pinterest to protect my intellectual property. And you?
