Over the past few weeks there's been a lot disquietude surrounding everyone's favorite guilty pleasure as the Pinterest Terms of Use came under sharp scrutiny.
Were copyrights begin violated?
Was it legal to repin someone else's images?
Were we, the pinners, in jeopardy of legal action?
The original terms of use certainly left something to be desired. Paranoia swelled.The buzz caused people to close their accounts and has scared off many undecided potential users. Pins were deleted, boards were axed.
Stop the madness!
Earlier today, Pinterest updated their terms of use. Check it out!
FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 2012
Updated Pinterest Terms
Over the last few weeks, we’ve been working on an update to our Terms. When we first launched Pinterest, we used a standard set of Terms. We think that the updated Terms of Service, Acceptable Use Policy, and Privacy Policy are easier to understand and better reflect the direction our company is headed in the future. We’d encourage you to read these changes in their entirety, but we thought there were a few changes worth noting:
Our original Terms stated that by posting content to Pinterest you grant Pinterest the right for us to sell your content. Selling content was never our intention and we removed this from our updated Terms.
We updated our Acceptable Use Policy and we will not allow pins that explicitly encourage self-harm or self-abuse.
We released simpler tools for anyone to report alleged copyright or trademark infringements.
Finally, we added language that will pave the way for new features such as a Pinterest API and Private Pinboards.
We think these changes are important and we encourage you to review the new documents here. These Terms will go into effect for all users on April 6, 2012.
Like everything at Pinterest, these updates are a work in progress that we will continue to improve upon. We’re working hard to make Pinterest the best place for you to find inspiration from people who share your interests. We’ve gotten a lot of help from our community as we’ve crafted these Terms.
Thanks!
Ben & the Pinterest Team
Original SOURCE
If you haven't set up your account yet, drop me a line and I'll send you an invite.
Overwhelmed at the sheer prospect of the world of pinning? Snap up the Pinterest StartUp Guide.
AND I'll see you on the boards!
Melissa Bolton, Copywriter & Internet Marketing Strategist
thanks, Melissa! On my way to see if they've solved the areas bothering some artists, so we can get back to happy pinning!
ReplyDeleteDon't hold your breath for private boards from Pinterest - they've talked about it for over a year now.
ReplyDeleteThere are alternatives available now: http://www.mikelike.com/ml/pinterest_private_boards/
It's only been a year or so-I am still hopeful that they'll get that done. I'm sure it's a huge copyright nightmare. I found this today:
Deletehttp://techcrunch.com/2012/03/24/pinterest-terms-api-copyrigh/
so in layman's terms, what does this mean for the average pinner, sitting at home and just pinning things that she likes?
ReplyDeleteMY FAVORITE PART?
ReplyDeleteThe new terms of service prohibit posting content that "creates a risk of harm, loss, physical or mental injury, emotional distress, death, disability, disfigurement, or physical or mental illness to yourself, to any other person, or to any animal."
You'd think this went without saying... but it didn't.