Pinning Copyright Complaints on Pinterest

Pinning Copyright Complaints on Pinterest

Pinterest has become one of the most surprising social media successes in recent years – not only is the site reporting a massive amount of growth and interest, attracting a reported ten million visitors in one month, but it seems like people just can’t stop talking about it. Unfortunately, serious concerns have accompanied its meteoric ascent to the ranks of other social aggregators like Reddit and Tumblr though, among them concerns regarding copyright law.

Like other websites in its class, Pinterest has relied heavily on copyrighted material to generate traffic. While it currently relies on affiliate links for revenue, it is likely that Pinterest will eventually begin selling ad space, especially as its website has found its niche with young women, who have until recently been fairly difficult to target with online advertising.

That means that Pinterest will be primarily relying on recycled, copyrighted images to draw and maintain their users. The overreaching question that needs to be focused on then is whether or not Pinterest is in violation of US Copyright laws by using images created by another person to advertise and/or sell products.

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Permalink Reply by MTippingAtelier-Admin on March 3, 2012 at 10:54pm

OH WELL.............. guess they didn't take the time to think it through;)

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Permalink Reply by Blarney_stone on March 10, 2012 at 7:11pm

What is different from this and having a magazine is a waiting room, and having people read it, and copy how to's and recipes out of it??

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Permalink Reply by MTippingAtelier-Admin on March 10, 2012 at 8:57pm

We put things on the internet so that the world can see them, to draw a global audience for whatever it is, be it an online shop, blog, social networking--that is the point, is it not? As long as people aren't blatently abusing images, i.e., selling items as their own using others' photos, I don't understand the pulaver. When photos are pinned, say from Etsy shops, I should think it would draw people into those shops, thus basically giving them free promotion--especially as Pinterest "etiquette" suggests that we shouldn't promote our own things;)...A rising tide lifts all boats...

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