Protect Your Marketing Content in the Age of Social Media: Copyright, Trademark and Privacy
Over the past several years, social media has completely changed how individuals and businesses communicate. Initially, it was meant to increase connectivity among the general population, but corporate interests have since taken advantage of the vast reach and marketing potential.
Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok drive traffic to brand websites.
By strategically sharing links to particular content, companies have enticed followers to explore their options. Through consistent posting, brands have also established unique personalities and visual identities.
Unfortunately, these opportunities have also uncovered vulnerabilities that were previously not an issue. Data breaches and cyber-attacks are a significant threat to businesses, with potentially severe consequences. They have led to data loss, financial loss, and damage to brand reputations.
Why Do You Need to Protect Your Content?
The chief concern of protecting content vulnerability is potential financial loss, considering it is many companies' main revenue source.
Whether the revenue stream originates from blogs, paid membership, or research reports, these digital assets must be protected from unauthorized party access. It is also essential to protect intellectual property. Content creators note that intellectual property protection is the same as registering for a patent, trademark, or copyright.
Content protection is akin to safeguarding brand reputations. Once the greater public confirms that a company is safely able to maintain its data, they are likely to trust it, which draws a significant market share.
How to Protect Your Marketing Content?
Several businesses currently store personal data and conduct their day-to-day activities using technological devices. They are at risk of data breaches, which could affect their ability to stay operational. Some actionable measures can be taken to help organizations maintain digital content protection.
Backups
Backing up to protect content is critical to securing it, especially if the company deals with personal information. This precaution reduces the risk of a break-in or physical damage. It also ensures the information's functionality when needed the most.
Installing Anti-virus and Malware Protection
Unfortunately, malware has become so prevalent that any device connected to the internet can fall prey to roving bugs in seconds if it does not have an active firewall. It is advisable to install an up-to-date anti-virus for hacking or malware protection. This should be done immediately upon purchase of critical hardware for digital content protection.
Utilizing Strong Passwords and Two-Step Verification
Ensure that most devices or accounts storing sensitive data are protected by strong passwords. This reduces the potential for access via brute force hacking. Multifactor authentication is a security process that verifies the user's identity and can be an extra layer to prevent unauthorized data access. For example, account access may only occur if the person verifies the password along with a code sent to their personal mobile device.
“Traditional copyright has been that you can't make a full copy of somebody's work without their permission.”
Patricia Schroeder
Copyright and Marketing Content
Copyrights protect advertisers from intellectual property theft. If anyone shares their content without authorization, it is categorized as a violation.
The process of copyrighting material is relatively straightforward. Ensure all of the materials to be copyrighted are available and fill in the copyright registration application on copyright.gov. If the material has already been covered by an employer, it may not be eligible, so the material has to be completely original.
Adding a copyright symbol to the site may also make users or visitors think twice before they steal the content. Though this may not necessarily be part of the official process, it can still help protect the site while the application is being processed.
Strategies for Enforcing Copyright
Copyrights are not enforced by police, though, as they are categorized under civil issues. That means they can be enforced through a private lawsuit. Copyright owners must watch over their body of work and root out those who infringe on them. Enforcement may begin with letters from an attorney to notify the individual infringing on the violation.
“A brainy person does not abuse copyright; instead they respect it and uphold it.”
Maximillian Degenerez
Typically, cease and desist letters notify the infringers of ownership rights and the liability that comes with unauthorized use. If the infringement is found online on YouTube, the owner can utilize the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and Communications Decency Act.
Both of these laws are there to protect service providers or vendors. If one has a dispute with another user, utilizing a DMCA takedown notice will be possible.
The owner can also seek damages or injunctions for people who infringe on their copyrighted product or service. However, lawsuits may cost the parties time and money before coming to a resolution. Even the threat of one can serve as a deterrent for those who want to infringe on copyrighted products.
When the lawsuit is not avoidable, the owner of the content or product can document the infringement. This is best done before sending a cease and desist or takedown DCMA notice.
Trademarks and Brand Protection
Trademarks are intellectual property comprised of recognizable signs, expressions, or designs that are distinguishable from others. It is how customers recognize the brand in the marketplace and distinguish them from the competition. Trademarks are there to give strong brand recognition and instill confidence within consumers as they signify a high level of quality.
Registering trademarks also provides legal protection against unauthorized use. Brands that do this have the right to enforce their exclusive rights should a party infringe on these allocations. It also allows for brand expansion so companies can expand and perform licensing. More collaboration options are created, thus extending the brand's reach without directly producing all of the products from one organization.
Privacy Considerations in Content-Sharing Protection
Protecting the personal information of one’s audience or consumer base is essential to remaining in business. Currently, most states require their local businesses to have data security regimes, especially if they handle or license resident’s personal information.
In the event of a data breach, they have to issue notices to all affected, including the state authorities. This can be an arduous and, overall, expansive experience that will not only take away from the business’s profits but its reputation as well. Protecting user data at all costs is crucial to avoid the unpleasant consequences of unauthorized access.
- Privacy regulations like the EU General Data Protection Regulation were initiated to control company use or storage of personal information. Though it was implemented in the European jurisdiction, it has inspired offshoots such as the California Consumer Privacy Act, which is equivalent in America. The main elements of the GDPR are fair processing, lawful limitation, and data minimization.
- The Privacy Act of 1974, a public regulation, was created in response to concerns about how the creation or use of a database would affect privacy rights. This law safeguards consumers' privacy through procedural and substantive rights regarding their personal information.
- The California Consumer Privacy Act, instituted in 2018, gives consumers the right to control their personal data, which businesses or vendors collect. With a few exceptions, consumers have the right to delete personal information collected from them. Consumers may also opt out of the sale or sharing of personal data if asked by an organization.
What Is Content Security Policy and How It Can Help You
A Content Security Policy refers to computer security standards initiated to detect and mitigate attacks like clickjacking or data injection, which result from implementing malicious content in trusted web pages.
One of the main roles of CSPs is to act as a guard against unauthorized access. It does this by preventing the implementation of unauthorized scripts or resource loading. The protocol becomes a barrier against attempts toward infiltration of sensitive data.
The style-src directive, for example, extends protective reach by restricting inline styles. This prevents cyber criminals from changing the visual presentation of content to conceal data.
The Role of an Intellectual Property Attorney and Why You Need One
Intellectual property laws ensure creators' rights are honored so they reap all commercial benefits. Even with the provided safeguards, such as content protection and CSPs, it is still advisable to retain the services of an intellectual property attorney.
These professionals can help businesses determine their copyright situation and the risks involved. Business owners may use the information given to assess risks to their companies and employ measures to reduce the potential of successful data breaches.
Conclusion
The need to protect content has significantly risen as businesses have become aware of social media’s significance. This has created specific vulnerabilities that did not previously exist. Personal data may be accessed or stolen by unauthorized parties for nefarious purposes.
Consumer personal data is of high value, considering it reveals group demographics, purchases, and purchasing potential.
Consumer data privacy regulations have also alerted the public to the value of their personal data, making it quite problematic for companies that experience data breaches. They must alert all affected consumers, state authorities, and relevant consumer agencies.
Companies should also obtain the services of an attorney to help them navigate the intellectual property landscape so they do not have negative experiences.