Have you seen this cut-and-paste status update in your News Feed today?
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!
(Anyone reading this can copy this text and paste it on their Facebook Wall. This will place them under protection of copyright laws.) By the present communiqué, I notify Facebook that it is strictly forbidden to disclose, copy, distribute, disseminate, or take any other action against me on the basis of this profile and/or its contents. The aforementioned prohibited actions also apply to employees, students, agents and/or any staff under Facebook’s direction or control. The content of this profile is private and confidential information. The violation of my privacy is punished by law (UCC 1 1-308-308 1-103 and the Rome Statute).
Facebook is now an open capital entity. All members are recommended to publish a notice like this, or if you prefer, you may copy and paste this version. If you do not publish a statement at least once, you will be tacitly allowing the use of elements such as your photos as well as the information contained in your profile status updates.
According to Snopes, it’s a myth and doesn’t mean anything.
Even a quick Google shows that the “Berner Convention” isn’t real (it’s the Berne Convention), and that the “Rome Statute” is international law and has to do with the International Criminal Court’s ability “to prosecute genocide, war crimes, crimes of aggression and crimes against humanity in situations when the sovereign states themselves are unable or unwilling to prosecute said crimes”. (What that has to do with Facebook, I still don’t understand.)
There is no way to get around Facebook’s privacy policies (which have changed recently) other than to read them, understand them and accept them.
The other option is to delete your account and sever ties with Facebook. But no one really wants to do that, do they?
What do you think of this post and others like it? Anything I missed? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the Comments section and on my Facebook page. Thanks for reading!
photo credit: MoneyBlogNewz via photopin cc
Comments 6
This stuff wears me out. If you’re too lazy to read the privacy details and figure it out yourself, then you’re obviously not that worried about what Facebook is going to do with your info. Stop looking like an idiot by posting these silly messages.
Author
Agreed!
I’ll make it easy for everyone. With just about any online service but especially Facebook and YouTube, when you created your account as part of the terms and conditions you agreed that anything you posted became their property.
So assume you retain no rights. But remember that as a business you may have liabilities for what people post on your Facebook page.
Author
Read the fine print – you are right!
The first thing I tell my clients that approach me to start a new marketing campaign that includes social media – “Don’t post anything you aren’t willing to give away for free. Once it is posted, its no longer yours.” I say this for many reasons – mostly because it will be copied and used by others as their own, but also because the medium in which it was posted will benefit the most. Unfortunately, this sound advice is ignored by individuals. I have noticed that most people on the internet have chosen to ignore their own privacy, until it is used against them.
Author
Yes – I tell my clients that too! If it’s on Facebook, it’s no longer private.