Facebook Flags ‘Copyright’ Message as Hoax
If you are a avid Facebook user, you may have come across a message on your Facebook timeline time and again, which tells you that the Facebook feeds are ‘copyrighted’ and can be used only with permission.
The message normally reads as follows
“In response to the new Facebook guidelines, I hereby declare that my copyright is attached to all of my personal details, illustrations, comics, paintings, professional photos and videos, etc. (as a result of the Berner Convention). For commercial use of the above my written consent is needed at all times!”
This message has being doing rounds lately and encourages you to put up a similar message on your feed for your followers as well, if you want your own Facebook walls to be placed “under protection of copyright laws.”
This message is actually a hoax and dont fall prey to it. Facebook doesnt own your media nor has it copyrights on your feed messages and further there is no such thing as the Berner Convention. (There is a Berne Convention!). Similar hoax message was doing round in June last year when many Facebook users fell prey to it and put it up on their timelines to ‘protect’ their feeds.
Facebook itself came out with a statement damning the above hoax. “We have noticed some statements that suggest otherwise and we wanted to take a moment to remind you of the facts — when you post things like photos to Facebook, we do not own them,” Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes said in a statement.
“Under our terms, you grant Facebook permission to use, distribute, and share the things you post, subject to the terms and applicable privacy settings.”
So if you get the above said message in your feed or are impulsed to use this one to ‘protect’ your photos, videos and posts this message is a hoax and stands no legal ground. As of now you can share/edit copy, paste and do whatever you want with the Facebook posts but do remember to attribute the rightful owner for his or her dues.
Thank you
I almost was convinced to think I fell for something fake and I still really want face book to know that I don’t want my privacy, identity,creativity violated there’s nothing fake about wanting fair rights no matter if they say your stuped or fake for saying you want your privacy
Your statements regarding copyright may be correct, but you didn’t address the latter part of such message: “For commercial use of the above my written consent is needed at all times!”. According to Facebook’s terms and conditions, it retains a license to use, distribute and share your posts (subject of course to the other terms and conditions).
Adding the message unfortunately won’t change these terms, but people should at least be aware of this.