Many Influencers Are Unknowingly Committing Copyright Infringement In The Content They Upload

Ahead of World IP Day on Sunday 26th April, leading lawyers from Irwin Mitchell’s Media & Entertainment team are highlighting what Influencers need to look out for when it comes to ensuring they don’t infringe copyright laws.

Here are three tips for Influencers to keep the right side of intellectual property (IP) law:   

1. Be careful what music you use. If you play other people’s music in the background of your content, make sure you have the music owner’s permission or the platform has the necessary licence in place for it to be used.
2. Make sure you have the rights to share the photo. If you post a photo of yourself, you need to be sure that you have the legal right to share that image. If it was taken by someone else, such as professional photographer, and they have not given you their permission to share it in that way, you will be infringing the photographer’s copyright.
3. Is it your video to post? If your content includes a video and you weren’t the one who created it, make sure you have the right to post it. Otherwise, it could be taken down by the platform.

Expert Opinion

“Without realising it, lots of influencers are committing copyright infringement in the content they upload. Abide by one simple rule: Only post content that you have the rights to post, meaning you created it or, if it includes content that belongs to someone else, you've obtained permission from the original creator.” Aurelia Butler-Ball - Partner

World IP Day takes place on 26 April 2020 and is aimed at celebrating the role that intellectual property rights play in encouraging innovation and creativity.