FACEBOOK........for discussion

[FUJI]

I heard on BBC Radio news this morning that Facebook is changing the small print of membership rules, buried deeply are the facts that Facebook has rights any of your photographs and videos, the newsreader was speaking to a tech savvy lawyer who wasn't too happy to learn that.

Because I have never been tempted to join Facebook ( or Twitter) the changes don't affect me, but, they do raise questions in my old mind.

Facebook, is literally filled with personal photographs and videos shared by families, friends and chosen others, these include family events, parties, holiday photographs ......if I heard right, all could be utilised by Facebook for its own ends because you have signed the membership agreement.

Why then am I, as a more than keen Street Photographer asked to produce model releases for thos people who happen to be in my shots whether they know or not......the very essence of Street Photography is people in public places doing what people do, sometimes amusing but most often in happy coincidences.

I feel very inhibited about putting my work on gallery walls or in publications, because organisers ask for unobtainable model releases.

But, it seems, not Facebook, they could take a photograph or video of your granny or kids to use as they wish, including perhaps in advertising or features that creates income for them?

I guess the same goes for commercial TV companies who regularly feature Joe Public going about its daily business, each news bulletins or features all interspersed with profit gaining advertising.

I post this, as a discussion feature and as a.......Head's Up .....to Facebook members.

FUJI

[Graham]

Always going to be an issue but I have always considered that any picture you post on the Internet is possibly going to be nicked by someone. It is the nature of the beast that online = none secure. Even pictures on here could easily be taken off and used by someone else. I personally cannot see how this will ever change. The law on copyright is relatively simple in that the photographer ownes that copyright. If you see a picture being used without your permission, it is down to the photographer to chase it up.

As far as Facebook is is concerned, they are not much different to others. Google, I believe, have similar rules, note sure about Fickr. It is simply down to the individual to either accept or decline. Most pictures I see on Facebook are of no use to anyone anyway, unless they have a cat fetish.

[FUJI]

Always going to be an issue but I have always considered that any picture you post on the Internet is possibly going to be nicked by someone. It is the nature of the beast that online = none secure. Even pictures on here could easily be taken off and used by someone else. I personally cannot see how this will ever change. The law on copyright is relatively simple in that the photographer ownes that copyright. If you see a picture being used without your permission, it is down to the photographer to chase it up.

As far as Facebook is is concerned, they are not much different to others. Google, I believe, have similar rules, note sure about Fickr. It is simply down to the individual to either accept or decline. Most pictures I see on Facebook are of no use to anyone anyway, unless they have a cat fetish.

That puts my current TIPF Avatar in context then? ;-)

FUJI

[fuzzyedges]

It seems its not only the image material

A profile of what you write / like /dislike etc is allowable and can be sold to a third party

Target advertising

Thats if I heard it right

[ChrisLumix]

I believe if you look this up on ?Snopes? (the online "myth busters" anyway) you will find this is a hoax. Yes, FB have changed their rules about advertising etc, and you constantly have to be alert to your Privacy settings, but they do NOT, never have, and cannot, own your intellectual property e.g. photos and videos. 

 

That does not prevent - as noted above - people simply stealing your work, but if you are sensible and savvy about your FB privacy settings, only your friends can see your stuff.

 

The other thing you can do to protect yourself, is only upload much smaller and compressed versions of your pictures - if they are then stolen, you can demonstrate forensically that you own the original.

Edited December 4, 2014 by ChrisLumix

[Guest]

I believe if you look this up on ?Snopes? (the online "myth busters" anyway) you will find this is a hoax. Yes, FB have changed their rules about advertising etc, and you constantly have to be alert to your Privacy settings, but they do NOT, never have, and cannot, own your intellectual property e.g. photos and videos. 

 

Not a hoax, and whilst they will never own the IP Facebook terms are being changed so the you effectively grant them a licence to do as they wish including sub-licencing.

 

Fuji, I have temporarily shut my facebook account while I decide if I shall permanently close it because of this.

[FUJI]

Thanks Bill...

Methinks it is time every Facebook member ....REALLY ....reads that new membership agreement very, very carefully......Chris, you had better brew a cuppa then polish your reading glasses.

FUJI

[ChrisLumix]

Not a hoax, and whilst they will never own the IP Facebook terms are being changed so the you effectively grant them a licence to do as they wish including sub-licencing.

 

Fuji, I have temporarily shut my facebook account while I decide if I shall permanently close it because of this.

 

Sorry, but this is misleading. FB have made it perfectly clear. I am pasting this from Snopes' page on the subject:

 

 

There is a rumor circulating that Facebook is making a change related to ownership of users' information or the content they post to the site. This is false. Anyone who uses Facebook owns and controls the content and information they post, as stated in our terms. They control how that content and information is shared. That is our policy, and it always has been. Click here to learn more - www.facebook.com/policies.

 

Similarly, ABC News reported:

[users worried that] Facebook will own their photos or other media are posting [a frightful message] — unaware that it is a hoax. Here's the truth: Facebook doesn't own your media. 

"We have noticed some statements that suggest otherwise and we wanted to take a moment to remind you of the facts — when you post things like photos to Facebook, we do not own them," Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes said in a statement. "Under our terms you grant Facebook permission to use, distribute, and share the things you post, subject to the terms and applicable privacy settings." 

Brad Shear, a Washington-area attorney and blogger who is an expert on social media, said the message [that Facebook users are posting to their walls is] "misleading and not true." He said that when you agree to Facebook's terms of use you provide Facebook a "non-exclusive, transferable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any content you post. You do not need to make any declarations about copyright issues since the law already protects you. The privacy declaration [in this message] is worthless and does not mean anything."

 

As techtalk noted of Facebook users' current privacy rights:

 

The fact is that Facebook members own the intellectual property (IP) that is uploaded to the social network, but depending on their privacy and applications settings, users grant the social network "a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in connection with Facebook (IP License)." 

Facebook adds, "[t]his IP License ends when you delete your IP content or your account unless your content has been shared with others, and they have not deleted it." 

While the social network does not technically own its members content, it has the right to use anything that is not protected with Facebook's privacy and applications settings. For instance, photos, videos and status updates set to public are fair game.

Read more at http://www.snopes.com/computer/facebook/privacy.asp#BTVu7fKD6s4xfTYq.99

 

So, as I said yesterday, provided you keep your Privacy levels to sensible - and much documented! - levels on FB, no-one has any rights over your photos, videos, or anything else you post. Only if someone is daft enough to set their levels to 'Public' will they then reap the results of such daftness.

Edited December 4, 2014 by ChrisLumix

[kev7d]

Facebook is simply dire. Not a member and will not be in the future. 

[Leon]

I personally have 2 facebook pages, the one I used all year for my motorsport photography got me places where just having friends would not have, free entry and a media pass at Harewood all 2014 and an invite for 2015 just through posting stuff on facebook, also got in a few publications and on BTCC's website.

 

like it or hate it, it's here to stay, the power of social media is amazing!

 

my personal page has fairly tight security settings, and I do not post anything too personal.

[Jon]

This same thing surfaces on a regular basis. Someone said it was started when google+ realised it wasn't winning :-)

Most sites have a similar way of dealing with the info you give them, as do most businesses in general.

[Black Pearl]

I thoroughly enjoy using FB every day and don't care what happens to the stuff I post there. It's meant to be fun and as I don't earn anything from my images or ramblings I can't lose anything.

And yes this scaremongering pops up every few months with the same arguments.

[David61]

I am in a group on fb,and if any one nicks my photos then best of luck to them,if they like them good.

[Denis]

I will never have a facebook account. The ability for total planks from your past schooldays to find you 45 years on, and then bombard you with non stop meaningless drivel, is not for me!

I speak face to face with my friends, I suspended using google chrome for the same reason. Far too intrusive, and keeps wanting to link me with people I *may* know, not people I want to know

[kev7d]

I will never have a facebook account. The ability for total planks from your past schooldays to find you 45 years on, and then bombard you with non stop meaningless drivel, is not for me!

 

My thoughts too Denis!  

[ChrisLumix]

I will never have a facebook account. The ability for total planks from your past schooldays to find you 45 years on, and then bombard you with non stop meaningless drivel, is not for me!

I speak face to face with my friends, I suspended using google chrome for the same reason. Far too intrusive, and keeps wanting to link me with people I *may* know, not people I want to know

 

Fair enough. But do remember that some of us are barely mobile, sometimes the only way I can speak to friends and family is on Facebook.

 

And if you set your privacy settings properly, your 'total planks' can't get through to you - yes, they can send you an initial message, but if you see who they are, you can just ignore them, not friend them, and they won't trouble you again. In the words of an Afro-Russian mammal - "simples!"

[kev7d]

Fair enough. But do remember that some of us are barely mobile, sometimes the only way I can speak to friends and family is on Facebook.

I respect that point Chris.

[colinb]

I thoroughly enjoy using FB every day and don't care what happens to the stuff I post there. It's meant to be fun and as I don't earn anything from my images or ramblings I can't lose anything.

And yes this scaremongering pops up every few months with the same arguments.

 

+1

 

there are some very good photography groups on FB, most you have to join to be able to post or see images. I find some groups relating to local 'military airspace' really useful in the information they can supply.  

Edited December 6, 2014 by colinb

[FUJI]

Good discussion folks........thank You.

FUJI

[Jon]

helps keep up to date with family all over the world, if you don't friend the plonkers you never really see them - all depends on how you control and use it really

[Black Pearl]

Its a bit of fun, its not the evil some would portray it to be and quite frankly I enjoy using it.

If you prefer not to use it then that is fine but do not for one minute think you are right or better because of your preference.

 

Just recently I got back in touch with two lads via FB that I went to school with but due to circumstances lost touch with - we've messaged, texted and spoken for the first time in years  - the next time they're back in the North East we'll meet up and I darn well hope get drunk and catch up some more. 

[Kobione]

I mainly use fb to keep in contact with family members, and friends, over there in UK. The only stuff I post is for fun, and never too private - although my privacy settings are fairly strict anyway. I have de-friended a few from my past who were a pain, but in general I enjoy the contact I have with my current friends.