November 07, 2016

3 Legal Tips about Videos and Live Streaming

By Veronica Jeans

Live Video and Live Streaming is here to stay and becoming essential for organic reach for businesses.

Facebook is rolling out Live Video for everybody in Facebook, and it is very easy to find on your mobile now.

Quite a few people have been using Live Video on Facebook and it gets phenomenal organic reach. According to Facebook, organic reach is about 8% compared to photos/images in a post at 2%.

We have to be very cognizant of what and how we are using in our live stream or videos and the legality of using people, images, music or any other proprietary stuff.

1. Copyright Laws

Whether you are on Meerkat, Periscope or Facebook, copyright laws apply to all social media. Basically, if you have images, people, music in your video, you are not allowed to use it commercially unless you have permission to use images, people or music in your video or live streaming.

2. Right of Publicity

I am sure you have noticed blurred people on television or in the news. Not everybody wants to be on Live TV/ video. If you have people in your video and you publish the video, you need their permission to go public with their images.

Always ask before publishing anything, and it would probably help to give recognition as well.

3. Trade Secrets and Proprietary Information

Read this very interesting article by Kerry Gorgone -

Live Streaming with Meerkat & Periscope: A Marketer’s Legal Checklist

Conclusion

Remembering all the legal stuff might make your head spin, and we don't always think about it when we get excited and start a video. Check your video before you post it or make sure before you start your video, you check what is going on around you. But have fun!