ISSUES SURROUNDING THE USE OF COPYRIGHTED CONTENT ON DIFFERENT SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

Copyright is closely linked to technological advancement, particularly with the rise of the Internet and sharing technologies. Recently, social media has emerged as a significant challenge for copyright law and policy. These platforms promote content sharing—both original and third-party—by providing tools like retweet, re-post, and share. As lucrative digital businesses primarily driven by advertising revenue, social networks encourage user engagement, as a larger audience increases ad value.

The swift spread of content through social media, streaming services, and sharing platforms has outpaced traditional copyright enforcement, highlighting the need for innovative solutions that balance creative expression, fair use, and creators’ rights in the evolving digital landscape. With the growing complexity of online sharing due to an increasing number of platforms and users spending more time online, various copyright issues are likely to arise.

Despite the terms and policies of social media platforms, the current landscape poses unique copyright challenges due to the distinct characteristics of each platform and user behaviors. Key legal issues include:

• Unauthorized Reproduction: Sharing copyrighted materials like photos, videos, music, and texts without permission constitutes infringement. Users often repost or share content they don’t own or have rights to.
• Plagiarism: This involves using someone else’s work or ideas without proper credit. On social media, this can manifest as users copying posts or paraphrasing content without citation.
• False Attribution: When a work is incorrectly credited to the wrong creator, it can mislead audiences and harm the true creator’s reputation. This often happens with quotes or creative works.
• Trademark Infringement: The use of a company’s trademarks, such as logos or brand names, in a way that causes confusion about ownership or sponsorship, is also a concern. Companies must actively monitor unauthorized use to protect their brand identity.

While social media platforms should enhance their policies and enforcement, content creators and rights holders also need to vigilantly monitor their work and issue takedown notices when necessary. By registering copyrights, watermarking content, and utilizing available reporting tools, individuals and brands can better safeguard their intellectual property online. A comprehensive strategy that includes education, deterrence, and pressure on social networks can help reduce widespread copyright violations on these platforms.