Anything you do or say can and will be held against you. It’s funny but, in most cases, it’s also true. The most mundane actions from walking your dog in the park to posting something on Facebook can open you up to a myriad of lawsuits. Are you guilty of doing any of these things?
Sharing a funny picture online
Just seen a funny cat picture and thinking of sharing it with your online friends? You might want to reconsider. That’s because taking photos from the Internet and posting them on your social media page might bring you more than just likes.
“We are all guilty of sharing an image online, but what most people don’t realize is that these images are protected through copyright law,” explains Tanisia Nicole Moore, a virtual intellectual property lawyer at Moore Legal Solutions, LLC. “The owner of the image can then sue you for using their work without permission.” Using older pictures or images without a visible watermark or copyright symbol can also get you sued.
What you can do instead: Stick to posting your own photos and videos or buy images from stock photo sites such as Shutterstock or Getty. And while you’re at it, delete your older posts that included images you haven’t taken yourself.
