The internet has brought many things to the people who use it. Social Networking sites such as Facebook or Youtube come to mind when people think of the internet. Kevin Fayle from Findlaw.com says, “The two most important statutes to consider when discussing the legal liabilities and obligations of the social networking sites are Section 512(c) of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.” One thing we need to ask is, what are the legal obligations that keep coming up because of the use of social networks, both for the user and the sites themselves? The law for these are constantly changing!
Section 512
Section 512(c) removes liability for copyright infringement from websites that allow users to post content, as long as the site has a mechanism in place whereby the copyright owner can request the removal of infringing content. The site must also not receive a financial benefit directly attributable to the infringing activity.
Unfortunately, youtube is now owned by google, and because of this, they are adding ads to videos for viewers that apply to the type of video the user is watching. With these ads, the site is making a profit, and it can/will be making profits from copyrighted material that other users are posting.
As for Facebook, S. M. Moshiur Rahman from cse.com says, “Facebook’s copyright policy is amazingly robust, including both notice and counter-notice information as well as well-worded cautions against sending false notices and providing a useful Copyright FAQ that can answer many of a member’s or a copyright holder’s questions.” Facebook has millions of users, some with multiple accounts for either a business or for fun. With the incredible amount of users on facebook, you could only think about the number of copyright law being broken, such as videos being uploaded, is going on. Also, people can download these videos or MP3 (music) files and would not have to pay for the material they would normally have to. David Navetta from infolawgroup.com says, “As social media and networking continue to revolutionize modern-day marketing and become the norm for organizations of all types, shapes and sizes, it is even more important to adequately address the legal risks associated with social media use.”
Sources:
Kevin Fayle - http://technology.findlaw.com/modern-law-practice/understanding-the-legal-issues-for-social-networking-sites-and.html
S. M. Moshiur Rahman -
David Navetta -
http://www.infolawgroup.com/2011/10/articles/social-networking/the-legal-implications-of-social-networking-part-two-privacy/
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