This article is written by Chintapalli Leela Madhuri who is pursuing a  Certificate Course in Intellectual Property Law and Prosecution from Lawsikho.

Introduction

As technology is developing Social media is playing a very important key role in our daily lives nowadays. A large number of people are frequently using social media in their lives. Facebook is one of the most popular social media among them. Facebook is a social networking site that connects people from all around the world. 

Facebook aims to bring the world together with the power of the public. Facebook has gained a billion users within a few years. It is a platform where we can make friends around the world. It is a stage where we can upload our photos or express our thoughts freely. Even though it is an app that allows our free thoughts openly it has some policy restrictions which everyone has to follow. 

Because some people misuse these social media apps like Facebook to defame others. So, this privacy policy will help prevent those types of users and give warnings to stop them in such cases. The Facebook Terms of Service do not allow posting content that violates someone else’s intellectual property rights, including copyright and trademark. Facebook takes really strict action when it comes to copyright infringement. This article explains about Facebook Copyright Policy.

What is copyright policy?

The simple meaning of the term copyright is the legal right of the owner of intellectual property. This means that the original creators of products and anyone they permit to are the only ones with the exclusive right to reproduce the work. Copyright allows you to protect your work from being misused by others. 

When you create an original work, you automatically get copyrights to it, which makes you the only one who can copy, distribute, display, and give permission to others to use your creation. Copyright is a special economic right arranged for the creator of original work to approve or prevent other people from copying it.  

Things like Ideas, methods, and systems are not covered by copyright protection. And a choreographic work, whether original or not, is not an issue to copyright unless it has been recorded or written. Copyright is different from the trademark. Not all types of copyrights can be trademarks. The key thing to know is that just because something is online does not mean you have permission to use it. 

Images in Google image search are almost always copyrighted, and just because one can find them doesn’t mean they are legally allowed to use them. In these copyrights, there are three basic requirements. They are to be protected and must be a work of authorship; it must be original, and it must be fixed in a physical standard of appearance. Copyright protected material expression (tangible medium) but not the idea. 

The example of the copyright policy are movies, television shows, literature, musical compositions, paintings, video games, books, etc. but sometimes without violating the owner’s copyrights one can use copyright-protected work through the fair use. Usually, there will be different copyright policies for each social media app. 

For example, in YouTube Copyright, one should only upload content (including music, videos, and artwork) that they created or that they’re approved to use; or else, this could result in a copyright violation. If anyone uses someone else’s content on their YouTube channel, the copyright owner can submit a takedown request on YouTube.

What is Facebook copyright policy? 

Facebook’s copyright policy means it is a policy that Facebook uses to control not to allow posting content that violates someone else’s intellectual property rights, including copyright and trademark. If someone uses a summary or the whole of your work in their Facebook posts without your permission, you can report copyright infringement. 

Digital files such as photos, songs, and videos have the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) protection, which means that you can’t share and copy digital files without the copyright owner’s permission. Otherwise, one will be at risk of being accused of copyright violation. So, for using Facebook safely and sound by protecting your copyrights and avoid violating copyright laws one must compulsorily recognize how copyright works. 

If anyone often violates copyright policy in Facebook, then Facebook will disable their profile, page, or group with the help of the Repeat Infringer Policy.  If the one doesn’t want to end up with the infringement penalty on Facebook, they have to escape from posting the content which they didn’t create. With the support of the Facebook copyright form, the infringement person can report on the infringer. But Facebook Copyright doesn’t protect things like names, titles, and slogans, etc.

How is it different from other copyright policies?

The Facebook policy is more different compared to other copyright policies. Because Facebook has featured itself in a different way which helps its users in safety and sound. Every copyright policy aims to protect the work without being misused by others. Whereas Facebook structured itself more deeply for the safety of its users differently in a convenient way. 

On Facebook, if anyone infringed or violated any copyrights of others by misusing their works instantly Facebook will give a warning through notifications to not do so. Unlike other copyright policies on Facebook, if somebody files a copyright claim against the other stating their rights are violated, Facebook will delete their post and send an email and notification to the accused. 

If such a thing has occurred, then the accused can use the information from Facebook’s email to get in touch with the copyright owner to resolve the problem. Compared with the other copyright policies it is an easy way to settle down the issues.  

Unlike other copyright policies on Facebook, if anyone believes that somebody else stole their work and posted it on Facebook, they can deal with it, either by reporting it on Facebook or contacting a Facebook DMCA agent or contacting the person who infringed the copyright. 

As per Facebook, besides several choices for reporting copyright infringement, Facebook has two other ways that save the user’s work from copyright infringement. They are Audible Magic and Rights Manager. Both Audible Magic and Rights Manager play an important role in Facebook’s copyright policy.  

Here, Audible Magic allows the users to fingerprint their work for copyright purposes so that nobody can misuse their original content on Facebook and Whereas the Rights Manager helps the platform’s users to easily monitor their content. Facebook has these effective ways for infringement copyrights. Facebook has built a blog saying help canter of Facebook which helps its users to know more about Facebook privacy policy and copyright infringements.

Conclusion

Facebook is being used around the world in billions. It is helping connect and make unknown strangers’ friends around the world. Although Facebook has advantages or disadvantages, it is helping people to connect throughout the world. Facebook helps people to open their true feelings. 

The things and feelings which one cannot open up with family or friends they can share with the friend are made on Facebook. And also, people like introverts and people who have trust issues can make friends from the world and share everything.

 Facebook provides the ability to delete offending items from someone’s wall but users must be cautious when posting personal things. Therefore, to avoid violation of copyrights on Facebook one must compulsorily know about Copyright laws. Music is one of the easiest kinds of content to identify and so one of the most commonly reported issues with copyright on Facebook which one must compulsorily avoid. 

In the past, Facebook has banned people before for cover songs, even though they later made the policy that allows them. In Facebook Live Streaming or recording live events is particularly hazardous as they violate the copyright policy more. One can use music or songs of others that have copyrights on Facebook if they obtain a license to do so. 

Or by mentioning “I do not own the music in this video/rights to this music.” “I do not take credit for this video.” Copyright policy will not be affected on Facebook. With the help of these Facebook copyright policies, the users can freely express their talents, thoughts, and ideas. 

Every talented person’s greatness is being shown to the whole world without any issues of copyright. copyright policy helps people to protect their intellectual property rights. This means this policy helps the people in protecting their interests. Each social media app has its disclaimer. 

Even Facebook has its disclaimer which states to protect its user’s privacy and do not infringe copyright. Due to infringement of copyright policy, one cannot show their true self to the world. Many common people have been identified through Facebook by showing their talents to the world. Because with the support of Facebook one can praise and locate the talent of others around the world. 

References

• https://www.ukessays.com/essays/technolog
• https://www.schneier.com/essays/archives/2019/03/a_new_privacy_consti.html

• https://www.facebook.com/help/1020633957973118

• https://techterms.com/definition/copyright

• https://www.facebook.com/help/intellectual_property

LawSikho has created a telegram group for exchanging legal knowledge, referrals, and various opportunities. You can click on this link and join:

https://t.me/joinchat/J_0YrBa4IBSHdpuTfQO_sA

Follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more amazing legal content.