Pinfluence: The Complete Guide to Marketing Your Business with Pinterest

Chapter 14

The Ethics of Pinterest

If you’re a Pinterest user, then you’re likely already aware of the firestorm of copyright controversy that has surrounded the site in the last few months. Because Pinterest grew so quickly—faster than almost any social media site in history—some of the Pinterest terms of service became problematic very quickly, too. Therefore, the site’s founders have recently absorbed some heated criticism from bloggers and traditional media outlets about the use of images as shared content on their site.

I’ll use this chapter to discuss some of those issues and give advice for content providers (artists, photographers, and so forth) who want to protect themselves online. I’ll also share some of my observations about how businesses that want to engage in Pinterest marketing can keep themselves and their organizations out of legal trouble.

Please note that I am not a lawyer, nor someone with legal expertise. I am merely an observer and a user of the Pinterest process. This book does not contain legal advice. If you are looking for legal advice, please consult with an intellectual property attorney who can advise you on using Pinterest.