The power of social media has been known to people and they are making good use of it. Every now and then an individual comes up with an innovative plan to make use of the social media sometimes to advertise an agenda and sometimes to promote business. It is the fastest and smoothest way of reaching out to a large number of people which include every age group. Today, every company is entering the digital arena and making use of social media to get exposure and a platform for advertisement. But again there are exemplary incidents where misuse of social media has not only ruined someone’s business but has also landed them in court.
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The mistakes which people generally make are not only restricted to the comments on Twitter or Facebook. They include action over email and blogs too. As a professional, people have technical knowledge about their respective industries but it is not always possible for everyone to know how their online marketing strategies that are going against any law and disobeying it if they are not well versed with the subject. But again this article will help you get a fair knowledge of what to do and what not to do to end up in trouble without being a legal expert.
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Types of mistakes that people generally commit without knowing
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Copyright infringement
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This is the most common mistake that one can do with social media. Now how to identify copyright? Well apart from the watermarks if someone has put their own idea into a form of art say writing/music/dance etc., automatically the content becomes copyrighted and protected. The creator will not have to register his/her work or put a badge on it to claim the work to be his/her. Also, they do not have to put much effort in defending their work. There are numerous examples of business facing legal actions due to copyright infringement. By copyright, it means that only the creator has the discretion to edit, modify, distribute, and use it for any purpose. The best way to avoid this mistake is not to use any other person’s work. Again if you have to do so do not forget to give credit to the creator.
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Slander and Libel
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It is human nature that whenever we are angry we tend to use rough and rude words to let out our emotions. But social media is not the best place to do so. In social media, slander, and libel mean if you make any false or derogatory comment about an individual or group of people then you have committed a slander and as a consequence, you have to face a libel. The Internet surely helps us to connect to people so better use it for the same purpose and not break the connection. The best way to avoid slander and libel is not to make any comment when you are upset, be careful with the choice of words and hashtags used. Also, pen down your context in a clear way.
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Invasion of privacy
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Invasion of privacy does not always mean hacking into other’s profile. During online marketing, if by mistake or without knowing you publish a fact/information about a person without his/her consent, it will be regarded as an invasion of privacy for which you can face a lawsuit. Also, if by chance you end up publicizing some false information about someone which causes them embarrassment then you are liable to face a charge for the same. Unlawful usage of names/images for promotion is a too invasion of privacy.
