Let me start by saying that I'm an ardent supporter of copyright protection. Most writers are. I just read the fine print on the legal use of photos in blog posts. Since it looks like a few of the photos I've used are in violation, I'll be taking them down.
The same is true on Pinterest. Sigh. The board creator is a bit more protected on Pinterest IF she pins directly from the copyright holder's site, since this can be interpreted as enhancing rather than detracting from the copyright holder's interests. Saving a photo and pinning it from your own computer is a BIG no no. Live and learn!
I'm not sure where that leaves repinning, but it's something I'll be extremely cautious with. If you choose to repin from my Pinterest page, you can be assured that every image is properly linked to the original copyright owner (in a couple of days once I get everything cleaned up!).
Here are a few links to more authoritative posts on the legality of image use.
Copyright Fair Use and How it Works for Online Images
How to find free (and legal) pictures online
How To Stay Legal Posting Pictures While Blogging
The Tussle Around Fair Use: Is Pinterest On The Right Track?
(This last article is from a course at Berkeley. It's technical but thorough. Worth wading through.)
Anyone else a little bit shell-shocked? I guess all those images on Google are only for looking at on Google Images! Makes me wonder what the purpose of the search engine is, and what the future will bring with rights legislation. And I'm not even going to think about Facebook right now! Arggg! You may be miles ahead of me on this issue, but for those who are in the same beginner boat that I'm in, I hope some of this is helpful.
What has been your experience using images on blogs and Pinterest? Any lawyers out there who would be willing to weigh in? Any questions? I look forward to reading your thoughts and comments.
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