Is pinning to Pinterest a violation of copyright laws?

1. 62

   Tricia1000posted 12 years ago

   Is pinning to Pinterest a violation of copyright laws?
   
   Unless you are pinning your own work and pin someone else's work, you might be violating copyright as you do not own the rights to this work.

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   DS Dubyposted 12 years ago

   only if your taking credit for the work other wise the picture should link back to it's original source.

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      Greekgeekposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      This is false. Giving ceedit absolves you of plagiarism, but that's not going to help you with copyright at all.
      
      Plagiarism is taking credit for work that's not yours.
      
      Violating copyright is using someone else's work without permission.

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   2. 72

      DS Dubyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      if you ask me it sounds like pinterest is just a lawsuit waiting to happen for content  writers, I retract my former answer and I think I will just delete my pinterest account. Thanks for all the helpful info.

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3. 78

   Greekgeekposted 12 years ago

   Since Pinterest uploads large-size copies of photos, storing those files on its server, competing with the originals in search engines, yes, that's a copyright violation -- making a copy -- unless you have permission.
   
   Copyright is the legal and exclusive right of the copyright holder to decide who copies, distributes, and displays their work. Pinterest obviously violates that law, unless the copyright owner pins their own work or explicitly permits others to do so.
   
   Pinterest's own TOS say that you have to have permission to pin images, and that its members are legally liable for copyright violations. They're covering their butts with that to make sure Pinterest members, and not Pinterest, will have to pay up in all the copyright lawsuits it may trigger.

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   1. 72

      DS Dubyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Pinterest does not believe it is vulnerable to lawsuits regarding copyright infringement and is protected under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
      We've reached out to Pinterest to find out what their official policy regarding images that potentia

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4. 75

   janiek13posted 12 years ago

   I hope not, otherwise I am in deep doo-doo. Isn't the act of pinning to pinterest implied permission for others to repin your work?

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      Cappy Kalzoonposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Oh god no, I have to settle with a photographer for copyright infringement regarding a repin.   I did repin something that the original pinner had no right to upload, that's how I fell in the vat of molasses.

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      Greekgeekposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      You may pin your OWN work: you own the copyright, so you can decide. If you want Pinterest users to share it and use Pinterest codes to embed it on their websites and make money with it, pin it!
      
      It's illegal to do that to other people's work.

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5. 82

   JenJen0703posted 12 years ago

   I use Pinterest to display some of my better articles. It helped to significantly increase traffic to some of my hubs.
   
   Using Pinterest, in my opinion, is not a violation of copyright laws because you are displaying your own work. Even if you pin someone else's writings, all you are doing is helping them get more traffic. Using Pinterest is no different than creating backlinks at Xomba or Redgage.
   
   Violation of copyright laws happen when you copy someone else's work and try to say you created it. It is not a violation of copyright laws to link others' work to your own, as long as the author receives credit for their work. I know it is supposed to be good etiquette to contact that person to inform them or ask permission, but I never do. For one, who is actually going to complain that you are helping them get more traffic? In some of my hubs, I use others' hubs for good karma on mine, as well as links to other hubs I have written.
   
   I've been using Pinterest since they started and have had not been into any trouble for it.

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      Cappy Kalzoonposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      It's copyright infringement even if you credit the original author.    Pinterest isn't just a link, you're uploading complete photographs.  Some people complain that they get no traffic from Pinterest, I guess we're wrong to assume they'll be happy.

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      Greekgeekposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      You need to read basic copyright law or you're going to run into trouble down the road. Copy RiGHT is the RIGHT to decide who copies your work.
      
      In school, you were taught to give credit. This was to avoid PLAGIARISM. It doesn't help with copyright.

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   3. 85

      Marisa Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I think you're missing the point.  You're not pinning your article, you're pinning an image.  It's the copyright on that image that matters.  If you don't credit the photographer (for CC) then you've broken copyright.

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6. 53

   Cappy Kalzoonposted 12 years ago

   I understand that you should only repin your own works, or something that is donated to Wikimedia Commons or Creative Commons.  But even Creative Commons isn't 100% safe.  There have been lawsuits for material what was uploaded to Creative Commons without the photographer's permission.
   
   Only a lawyer can answer this with certainty, but I believe the only truly safe pin is something that you created.

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      LillyGrillzitposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks again Cappy for setting me straight. It is a sticky wicket we find ourselves in. Those who do produce unique content, and honestly hope to promote their writing peers, need to use extra caution when re-pinning. Yipes

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7. 71

   That Grrlposted 12 years ago

   You have some leeway with fair use. Basically, if you only copy enough content to promote and lead people back to the original content (on the original site) it's ok to copy text or an image. But there is some difference of opinion about how much content is fair use. Everyone seems to have their own standards for that.

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      Marisa Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      "Fair Use" means you use only PART of the copyright work, so fair use can't apply to photographs.  You pin a photo or artwork that doesn't belong to you, you violate copyright. No grery area. Some people have already been prosecuted for it.

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8. 88

   Learn Things Webposted 12 years ago

   To be safe, I only pin something if I own it or if it has a pin button on the article. I only repin, if there is a pin button with the article or if it was clearly pinned by the owner.

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      Cappy Kalzoonposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      "if it was clearly pinned by the owner."  I got in trouble for repinning something that said "uploaded by user." The user had gone around a "no pinning" message by saving on his compy and uploading to Pinterest.  DO NOT REPIN ANYTHING

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9. 62

   Tricia1000posted 12 years ago

   Thank you for all the responses.  It seems that even Pinterest is a great tool to promote traffic to hubs, we should be careful how we use it.

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