Posts tagged instagram
The “Instagram Act” and How to Protect Your Photos Online
May 8th
By Kerry Gorgone {grow} Contributing Columnist
The Internet is a bit like the Wild West when it comes to protecting intellectual property and a new law makes it even a little more difficult to lay claim to your images without some proactive measures on your part.
The controversial Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act, which just received royal assent in the U.K., permits the use of “orphan works” — copyrighted works for which the owner cannot be identified. In most cases, the owner is dead, although it’s also possible that he or she simply has no interest in laying claim to the work.
Permitted uses under the new law would include digitizing archival library collections of unpublished works for purposes of preservation, but the law also allows commercial, for-profit uses of these works, such as advertising.
Photography groups vehemently opposed the legislation on the grounds that they stand to lose ownership and control over any images they post online. Critics have compared the law to the sweeping changes that Instagram made (and later unmade) to the app’s terms of use in December 2012.
Artists and photographers everywhere need to take proactive measures to protect their creative works, placing watermarks on images prior to uploading them online, and populating metadata with ownership information.
The U.K. media is also recommending that photographers and artists register each individual work with the U.S. Copyright Office or the PLUS Registry in the U.K. to ensure that they are identifiable. This way, even if someone could strip identifying information out of an image and repost it online, an interested owner can always come forward to claim their work. Many have cited the cost and time required to register each individual work as prohibitive, but at the moment, there aren’t many options.
Individual authors / artists registering through the U.S. Copyright Office could try registering works as a compilation, provided they published them all within the same year. (37 CFR 202.3(b)(10)) The filing fee for registering groups of photos is currently $65. At minimum, this reduces the likelihood that a work will be considered “orphaned” in the first instance.
Obstacles abound for copyright holders, including the fact that the U.S. Copyright Office does not offer a reverse image search. In the U.K., the PLUS Registry only holds names, and the “upload and search on an image” function does not yet work. Still, anything is better than nothing, given that the law has passed.
Another important thing to note is that the U.S. Copyright Office saves images for only ten years, unless the copyright holder pays an additional $470 for “full-term retention of a published deposit,” so the value of registration after that point is questionable.
One thing photographers can do is monitor Google for uses of their copyrighted works. Google’s sophisticated search technology does permit reverse image searches, so users can upload their copyrighted image and see matching images identified by Google. This will help copyright owners to detect infringing uses, so they can assert their rights against the infringing party.
As theoretically devastating as this development is for photographers, I really think that most works affected will be works no owner will ever claim; images that previously could not be used because of a potential copyright claim that would never materialize.
Companies don’t want legal headaches anymore than you do. They’re unlikely to intentionally use works that someone might sue over. Given the huge body of available images, there’s no reason to think they’d elect to steal a copyrighted work when they could find (or create) any number of suitable images for advertising purposes.
Bottom line: protect yourself to the extent you can. Wouldn’t you do that anyway?
Kerry O’Shea Gorgone, JD/MBA, is an attorney who teaches New Media Marketing in the Internet Marketing Master of Science Program at Full Sail University in Winter Park Florida. Follow her on Twitter: KerryGorgone
Photo courtesy Flickr Creative Commons umjeandoan
Social media trends that are colliding in 2013
Jan 2nd
There is nothing more fun than thinking about how tech trends and humanity are colliding and there is no better time to write about it than the beginning of a new year. There are lots of things to be excited about, but here are a few of the trends that I see colliding in 2013 and what might happen when they do …
The optimized self
Colliding trends: 1) The cost of collecting, storing, and analyzing big data is dropping; 2) The desire to live smarter and healthier is going up.
New trend: The optimized self. The Nike Fuel Band
We will increasingly turn healthy living into a fun competition with daily objectives and rewards from brands. Huge sponsorship opportunities.
Facebook Financial Fatigue
Colliding trends: 1) Facebook faces unrelenting shareholder pressure to meet quarterly financial goals; 2) Consumers weary of new ad schemes
New trend: Facebook Fatigue. Didn’t you think the latest round of announcements, apologies and counter-announcements by Facebook-owned Instagram were bizarre?
This is a signal that Facebook will be aggressively pushing the limits of our tolerance for monetization schemes. As I wrote earlier this year, the most disruptive event in the development of the social web was the Facebook IPO. This is a company that now has to deliver the goods to shareholders every quarter, without fail, without end. And the only way to do this is to draw more money out of me and you.
I believe this will take the form of a constant experimentation with monetization models … some intrusive, some helpful … but at some point they will risk fatiguing users with the constant changes and increasingly prevalent sponsored posts from advertisers. Will there be a crunch point that opens the door for a more-user-friendly competitor?
Social learning creates crisis for traditional universities
Colliding trends: 1) Unaffordable college tuition; 2) Highly-endowed universities offering free online classes
New trend: Traditional universities in crisis. On top of ridiculous tuition costs, we are at a tipping point where many young people are wondering about the relevance of a college degree in many professions.
Coursera, a start-up online education company, has enrolled 1.35 million students in its free online courses since it began in early 2012. In just a few months it added 33 partner universities, including Brown, Columbia, and Weslyan, to provide more than 200 free “massive open online courses,” known as MOOCs.
Could there be a time in the near future where the richest universities simply give away their “content” for many undergraduate classes? Could this be the next wave of “content marketing” that may depend on monetization through adjacent products and services?
Universities are among the most inefficient and slowest-moving institutions on earth (speaking from experience!). They could be facing severe and rapid financial consequences if they don’t find a way to maintain their relevance in the digital age.
Entertain me
Colliding trends: 1) Internet information density 2) Even more information density
New trend: Emphasis on entertaining content. Let’s face it. It’s not that hard to be in the content marketing game today. But the bar for quality content is being raised day by day. What will it take to cut through? Entertainment!
Companies will have to continuously push for more interesting, timely and entertaining content to remain relevant. Here are the implications: The need for exceptional content creators will be high. The cost of content marketing is going to go up over time as we place more emphasis on design and entertainment value. Coke just turned their website into a news magazine. That’s where the market is heading. How are you going to stand out?
The singularity in sight?
Colliding trends: 1) Man-machine interface, 2) Rapidly-improving artificial intelligence.
New trend: The “singularity” is the emergence of greater-than-human superintelligence that has long been theorized by science fiction writers. It is a controversial and yet nonetheless fascinating topic. Is it coming into view?
A hyper-intelligent IBM computer (Watson) being training to be a medical doctor. For $1,500, Google glasses can take you another step toward the man-machine interface — ubiquitous information as part of our bodies. Mind-controlled exo-skeleton connected to humans are helping parapalegics to walk, and robots can be controlled by human brain implants. Japanese researchers are building humanoid robots with bones and muscles. Eureqa is a software system that uses evolutionary computing to discover laws of nature that scientists haven’t been able to solve on their own.
And the rate of progress is accelerating. Can we doubt that many of us will live to see the day when machines become self-aware?
A revolution in design
Colliding trends: 1) Rapid digital replacement of bulky physical assets; 2) A need for more compact urban living spaces
New trend: Empty design. This is a bit of a wild idea but I was moving a box of old records and began thinking how the bulk we used to have to deal with is going away — books, paper files, records and CD’s, huge stereo systems, TV components.
Think about the effect this must be having on the world of design. Most furniture and housing units are designed to maximize storage space but this is no longer a primary requirement. What will we do with all this extra space formerly devoted to shelves, closets and drawers? I think the consolidation of gadgets and cloud storage will revolutionize urban living.
OK, I’ve had my fun. Now it’s your turn! What do you think of these prognostications? What trends are you watching in 2013?
Why Instagram will be the next big social media platform
Oct 10th
A few weeks ago I professed my love for Instagram and predicted that this easy photo-sharing app would soar. Now, new data from The Social Habit seems to confirm that Instagram is poised for a breakout.
Of the Americans surveyed who currently use a social media platform, only 18 percent currently have a profile on Instagram. That’s paltry compared to Facebook (94%) or Twitter (47%). But here are five reasons why Instagram could explode in 2013.
- Of those who have a profile, 61% have used it in the past 24 hours, an adoption level only surpassed by Facebook (at 84%). By comparison, Twitter stands at 55%, Google Plus 44% and Pinterest 52%. So those currently using Instagram are pretty voracious users by comparison.
- Of ALL those social media users surveyed, 48% declared they are using Instagram more often. This blows the other major platforms out of the water. Facebook was the next-closest platform in terms of expressed growth.
- Of those who have an Instagram profile, 83% use it at work, again surpassing even Facebook and YouTube by a long shot. One reason could be that sharing on Instagram requires no typing. You just snap a photo and post in seconds. One of my friends ran a series on Instagram where he snapped pictures – and rated — the crazy coffee cups in his office kitchen. Hilarious! Inspiration is everywhere, including work.
- Today, 67% of Instagram’s users are under the age of 34. I project that there could be a huge upside across demographics because everybody loves sharing photos and it’s so easy to use even the non-tech savvy can master it in minutes. In fact, Instagram is the most user-friendly of all platforms.
- Since Instagram is a mobile-only application, its adoption will increase as the trend toward smartphones continues in 2013.
There is also an intangible quality in play here that I think will make Instagram a red-hot property. There is an almost voyeuristic quality to Instagram that is lacking anywhere else and I think this will appeal to the same human qualities that drive the popularity of gossip magazines and reality TV shows. Of course lots of people post photos on Facebook … along with videos, cat memes and celebrity photos. But there is just something different, something more intimate, about how people are sharing their visual lives on Instagram. People show up less guarded on Instagram. I can’t really explain it, but it rocks.
Most people scoffed when Facebook acquired the 11-employee, non-revenue-producing Instagram earlier this year for $1 billion. But maybe they were on to something. The platform certainly seems to be poised to take a leap forward, according to this latest data.
By the way, this is just one tiny glimpse into the amazing dataset compiled by Edison Research and the Social Habit report which is being released this week. This is a MUST HAVE and affordable resource for any agency, marketing department or social media professional. Be part of the buzz. Get this report.
Disclosure: I am an advisor to Edison Research on the Social Habit project.
Picture This: 10 Amazing Photo Sharing Apps
Sep 18th
By {grow} community member Kerry O’Shea Gorgone
I have about a dozen photo apps on my iPhone. It’s possible I have a problem, but they all serve different purposes! Here are my favorites, from frequently used to occasionally launched.
The Must-Haves
Instagram – Free
Like the “Insta” implies, this app makes sharing fast, and the newest version even lets you choose the filter before you take the pic. Whatever my mood, there’s a filter to match, but that’s not why I love Instagram.
I love the little windows Instagram opens into people’s everyday lives. People showcase their passions, hopes and dreams, from the simple to the monumental. They illustrate their sense of irony or whimsy, and reveal their personalities. I think of it as “Instagram intimacy,” or “Instamacy” for short.
Another great thing about Instagram is how easy it is to share from the app. You can upload Instagram images to Flickr, Tumblr, Foursquare, Twitter and Facebook simultaneously, email your photos to your social circle, and even tweet someone else’s photo that strikes your fancy.
The less than perfect aspects include some counterintuitive UI elements (swiping to the right to delete or reply to a comment isn’t obvious to most users, and placing “reply” right next to “delete” could result in some unintentional slights.
Photoshop Express - Free (with upgrades from $1.99 to $4.99)
The granddaddy of photo doctoring apps, this mobile version enables you to assuage your mom’s fear that she looks bad without make-up, or in the sunlight, or wearing that dress, etc. Knowing I’ll punch up the color or smooth out the speckles makes my subjects more comfortable, and that always makes for a better photo.
From Photoshop, you can upload your creations to Photoshop.com, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr or Tumblr, email images, or save to camera roll.
Snapseed – $4.99
When you need to break out the big guns, go for Snapseed. At $4.99, it’s expensive by app standards, but prolific photographers will appreciate the granular level of control it gives you over the final image. Add filters, adjust every aspect from contrast to structure, or add “Drama.” (Yeah, that’s a filter.) You can even add a digital frame, for that gallery-ready look. For the newer digital artist, there’s an automatic fix that enables you easily to adjust contrast and color.
Share capability is also supersized, or you can open the edited image in Camera+ or ColorSplash for more fine-tuning and fun.
My Fun-to-Haves
Diptic - $0.99 (with optional “expandable” layouts available)
Example of Diptic
Simply put, the best $0.99 cents I’ve ever spent!
I love Diptic for before and after photos, progression photos (like my son coming down the slide) or for showing the front and back of a sexy muscle car! However you use it, Diptic is great for letting you combine different images into a single, eye-catching collage using one of 52 customizable layouts. The app has 14 filters you can apply, or share to Instagram and use one of those. You can also upload to Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Posterous, Camera+ or ColorSplash.
Incredibooth – $0.99 (with optional add-ons)
The fun of a photo booth in the palm of your hand! Better, really, because you don’t have to keep dropping coins in. You can choose filters prior to posing, and can share the entire strip or any single photo to Facebook or Twitter, email it, or save to your camera roll for additional doctoring.
Hipstamatic – $0.99 (with optional add-ons)
I like to play with this when I get sick of the same old Instagram filters. Somehow not as fun as Instagram, but it’s great for moody photos. The biggest downside is that you can’t add effects to existing images from your camera roll: you have to take a new picture. Huge bummer, which makes it less appealing to me and, I’m sure, many others.
Just Because I Want Them
Marblecam – FREE
Marblecam Example
This free app does one thing: distorts part of your image so it looks like there’s a marble in it. The right subject and the right light make this one thing awesome, but you can’t choose what gets “marbleized” or make adjustments. Still fun to use once in a while and, given the price, I’m not complaining.
Email your marbleized image, or share via Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. You can even open the pic in ColorSplash or Camera+, and punch up the contrast or tweak the color.
Color Splash
ColorSplash – $0.99
Like Marblecam, this app’s really good at one thing. Ever see a black and white picture of people milling around a rainy street, and the only thing in color is a red umbrella? This app can do that.
I use it to showcase the artwork on my Johnny Cupcakes shirts. ColorSplash lets you save the session, which is useful, because it can take a while to brush the color out or in. Share, save, print, or send to a slew of other compatible photo apps.
Flipagram - $0.99
Flipagram lets you turn your Instagram photos into a movie. You provide the title text, choose the images, and even select background music (just make sure you have the rights to use it). My masterpieces to date include Carporn: the Movie and a Flipagram for my son’s birthday. Very fun app, especially for special occasion slideshows. Share directly to your social networks or save to your camera roll.
My Hidden Gem
Panorama 360 – $0.99
This one takes some getting used to, but when you view a finished panorama, it will take your breath away. Panorama 360 offers a whole new way to stand in someone’s shoes, and see the world around them (and above them), just as they do. Here’s what it looks like: Panorama 360 example. Be gentle: capturing a great image with this app takes patience, but it’s worth the effort! Share to the usual social networks.
What did I miss? Which apps are your favorites?
Kerry O’Shea Gorgone, JD/MBA, teaches New Media Marketing in the Internet Marketing Master of Science Program at Full Sail University in Winter Park Florida. Follow her on Twitter: @KerryGorgone
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