Just Say No - To Pinterest
If you have thought about using Pinterest for your business, you may want to reconsider after reading the following post. While it is a great way to share information, a great deal of care needs to be taken to stay away from the legal issues.
Sorry my budding Pinterest Pinners but this has gone on too long. I've been reading a bunch of blog posts, articles and Facebook posts about how wonderful and fun and cool and etc Pinterest is! Surf the web, find cool pictures, pin them on your board and share! I even bought into the hype, creating my own boards about the different neighborhoods here in Tucson. Last night, my boards went bye bye.
BUT BUT BUT!! WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY????? (As a friend of mine said in an email.) Let me explain it very simply. I don't have time to deal with lawyers and individuals who will email me and threaten to sue me because I used their image(s) without permission. Plus, I don't have time to email someone whose picture I want to pin and wait for them to respond.
How many times have you been surfing around, looking for that perfect clip art piece or sunset photo to use? You hit The Google (yes, THE Google), type in what you want, click on images and voila! There it is!! A quick copy to your computer, a quick upload to Active Rain and you're done. Right? WRONG!!!
Say this outloud with me:
YOU HAVE TO HAVE PERMISSION TO USE IMAGES THAT ARE NOT YOURS.
Repeat that 10 times to yourself.
Picture courtesy of Kent SimpsonHere's a great picture my better half took of a new development here in Tucson. With his permission, I can use it. If I had found it just surfing around and used it without permission, he could call Denny Crain (Boston Legal anyone?) and have him send me a 'knock it off' notice.
The same concept goes along with Pinterest. I'm surfing around and I find this picture that I want to include on one of my boards about Tucson neighborhoods. I click "Pin It" and there it is for all the word to see. I have NO WAY (unless it's changed) to offer attribution for the photo unless I open up PaintShop and use my text tool.
To me, there is NO difference between finding pictures for my blog post here or finding pictures to pin on Pinterest.
I think it's a great concept and, maybe, it could be a great marketing tool. Until Pinterest figures out a way around the trademark and permissions problems, it's more trouble than it's worth.
Still in doubt? Read what a former Pinterest user/lawyer had to say about it
Tierra Antigua Realty
100 N Stone #1108
Tucson AZ
cell: 520.329.0400
email: emmary@tucsonkent.com
blog: The Gadsden Girl
website: The Gadsden Girl
AND
Steinborn Referral Associates
Las Cruces & Mesilla
cell: 575.201.3410
email: emmyinlc@gmail.com
blog: Emmy In LC
Neighborhoods of Las Cruces
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