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- Trademarking a vibe. Yes or no?
Trademarking a vibe. Yes or no?
Plus: Tiktok's Copycats + Plagiarism detector
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Don’t Get Caught in the Copyright Web 🕸️
Legal issues in the paradise of “free content”
Image by Zvonimir Juranko.
The internet is your playground. You're remixing, posting, and sharing like a pro, especially if you're in the creative industry. But then the question arises: Are you unknowingly stepping on copyright toes?
It’s easier than you think to slip up, especially with AI tools in the mix. That cool image or track you generated? It might have been trained on copyrighted material, putting you in murky legal waters. Even a casual repost or a wrong citation can cross the line without you realizing.
Before the internet, copyright was straightforward: don’t copy, don’t steal. Now, it’s a jungle. Just a couple of months ago, a lawsuit demanded $150,000 per song for AI music infringement.
The following are our honest suggestions, no affiliate links or kickbacks apply.
So, how do you navigate this digital chaos without losing your creative edge (or your savings)?
🎨 Fair Use ≠ Free Use
You can use material for work or education, but be prepared to give credit where credit's due.
🖼️ Public Domain Is Your Friend
Works in the public domain or under Creative Commons licenses? Green light! 🚦
Pro tip: In Google's advanced search settings, you can customize your search results by usage rights.
🤖 AI Gray Areas
AI tools are powerful, but using copyrighted material for “inspiration” can land you in hot water.
RoadMap POV: Originality always comes from transforming existing ideas or adapting them to your context. Don't be afraid to use the resources at your disposal, just remember to cite your sources in the footer.
Hot Off the Press!
How much "similarity" can be coincidence?
Sandra E. Garcia
In the world of social media, where every post is carefully crafted, a new kind of conflict has emerged: the battle over aesthetics. This is at the heart of a lawsuit between two influencers, Sydney Gifford and Alyssa Sheil, that raises an intriguing question: can someone own their "vibe"?
Sydney Gifford, a lifestyle influencer known for her minimalist, beige aesthetic, is suing fellow influencer Alyssa Sheil for copyright infringement. She's claiming that Sheil copied her online persona and content. The case shows how tricky it can be to define intellectual property on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, where copying often drives trends and success.
For influencers, their style isn't just personal, it's a business. Gifford says that Sheil's alleged copying confused her followers and hurt her earnings, turning what might seem like a petty spat into a legal battle with real financial stakes. However, copyright law traditionally protects specific expressions rather than broader styles or ideas, leaving plenty of gray areas to navigate.
App of Our Eye
Double-check your work.
We all consume a lot of content every day, which makes it tough to keep your work 100% original. It's easy to plagiarize ideas without even realizing it.
Quetext makes it easy to check your documents for originality. Just upload your file in formats like DOCX, PDF, or plain text, and let its DeepSearch™ technology do the heavy lifting. With smart algorithms and contextual analysis, it scans for plagiarism and even detects AI-generated content. Once complete, you'll get a detailed report with ColorGrade™ feedback to spot exact and near-exact matches at a glance.
Bonus points for supporting multiple languages like English, Spanish, French, and more! And with features like privacy protection and lightning-fast analysis, you can trust it to safeguard your work while delivering quick results.
– RoadMap