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Rapid advancement makes for challenging IP issues

On Behalf of | May 11, 2020 | Intellectual Property

It’s clear that technology will continue to advance quickly. Unfortunately, it’s often hard for things like the law to actually keep up with these rapid advancements. This lack of instantaneous adaptability can create a very challenging situation where new definitions and regulations of the law are needed more quickly than they can be provided.

For instance, consider the role that social media plays in intellectual property issues. Most laws governing these issues were drafted and approved either before social media existed or before it became as popular and widely used as it is now. Either way, legislators were not thinking about social media when they created these laws.

However, social media has changed the game in terms of digital content. Companies regularly post pictures and videos online, along with engaging in many other branding campaigns. This content technically belongs to the companies posting them, but the uploads are also now exposed and accessible to a web of billions of people. All it takes is one screenshot for someone to take that data and use it for their own interest. This can happen at any moment, all around the world.

There are also questions about how the social media platforms themselves engage with user uploaded content. Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg claims that people have “complete control” over everything they put on the site, but that is just his guarantee. Even if he is being genuine, his statement means that the terms and conditions on the site help define people’s rights, this is done without government regulation. However, is government regulation needed because it involves people’s rights?

The evolution of technology and the internet continues to bring up interesting legal questions. Users of technology and social media should know their rights when utilizing these services.