Copyright complaint on Instagram
Millions of users around the world use online platforms such as Instagram, Youtube to publish photos and videos. With the great popularity of social networks comes frequent cases of violation of copyright laws.
There is one worldwide principle of copyright. The author of a work is the one who created it. He has the right to publish, distribute and receive income from his creation. Publishing or distributing such content as your own without a link is illegal.
This idea is written in international conventions and legislation in many countries.
Instagram has a problem with users violating copyrights. By using other people’s content, people earn income and deprive this author.
In this article, we will give you instructions on how to use the law to remove content that violates copyright on Instagram.
Instagram Policy
Instagram is owned by the American company Meta, so their office is located in the USA. However, this does not prevent citizens of different countries from filing complaints of copyright violation.
In other words, many countries have similar copyright laws. The author is the one who first created the object of creativity.
“Instagram helps people and organizations protect their intellectual property rights. … Typically, copyright protects original forms of expression, such as words or images. It does not protect facts or ideas but may protect original words or images expressing that idea. Copyright also does not protect names, titles and slogans, but another legal right, a trademark, may protect them.” This is exactly what the official rule of the platform sounds like, which is enshrined in the policy rules.
Let’s now talk about individual types of content. Photos are the most popular type of content on Instagram. You can distribute other people’s photos only if you have the permission of the author, since any photo is also the creative work of a person, and he becomes its author.
The same situation is with popular videos, reels or music. If there is no permission from the author for publication, then this is a violation of copyright and it is necessary to begin legal work with the platform.
In addition, do not forget about exceptions in cases where publication does not have a violation of copyright. For example, quotation, use as a parody or caricature, necessity for justice and public policy, and so on. Each situation must be evaluated individually.
Instructions for users
1.1 Try to contact the account that took your work
First of all, you can try to write to the user who illegally published your photo, video or reels.
To do this, you need to find his contact information in his profile or write in a direct message.
Report that this is your content, illegal publication is against the law and Instagram policy. If he does not delete the content, this will be done with the help of the platform administration.
If this did not work or the user did not respond, then move on to the next point.
1.2 Complaint to the Instagram administration
As you already understand, Instagram will help you remove content that violates copyright. To do this, you must submit a complaint.
This can be done in two ways – write in the form https://help.instagram.com/contact/497750147277190
You should go to the “Help Center” section of the site,
You will find a section called “Privacy and Security”, this is what we need.
Next – “report violation”
Then – “Intellectual Property” – depending on the type of intellectual property, this may be a violation of copyright or trademark rights.
Or send a complaint to the company’s official email. (It will help to attract the attention of the administration to your problem).
Here it is worth talking about several important points.
You must provide contact information (full name, e-mail, telephone) and provide a link to the content. (URL link).
It is necessary to explain your situation. Why are you the author of the content?
Evidence will be needed here. Some authors write their name after publication, some put watermarks on the photo.
Stories can also be subject to copyright. On the main page they are deleted after a day, but they can be added to hightlights.
But as a rule, the important fact is that you published this content before the other user and therefore you are the author.
For each fact of using someone else’s content, its own complaint is filed.
A good complaint on Instagram should be detailed in legal language. For example: The applicant did not consent to the user’s distribution of copyright materials. The Applicant also believes that the user’s actions violate US copyright law The digital millennium copyright Art and Instagram Policy.
From the moment of the complaint, the user who published your content will receive a notification and 24 hours to provide Instagram administration with evidence that this is his content.
If the user does not prove his right to the content, then this content will be deleted. In addition, if there are enough such complaints about copyright infringement, the Instagram administration may delete the user’s account.
Conclusion
It is quite common for online platforms to help users remove content that violates copyright. To do this you need:
- Find content that is copyrighted;
- Contact the user who took the content without permission;
- Complain to the Instagram administration;
- The content will be deleted, and in some cases the user’s account may be deleted.