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7/28/2019 Social Media Internet Law Update Presentation
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/social-media-internet-law-update-presentation 1/59
Social Media
Internet Law Update
Pennsylvania Bar Institute
April 3, 2013
Jennifer Ellis
Lowenthal & Abrams, PC&
Jennifer Ellis, JDwww.jlellis.net
www.lowabram.com
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Today’s Discussion
Businesses Need Social Media
Employment
Practical Matters
Intellectual Property
Advertising
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1 billion
1 billion users per month
343 million
100 million4 billion photos
49 million
500 million
1 in 4
200 million
24 million
1 million businesses
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Risks and Rewards
Access
Information
Expectation
Negative PR
Bad Information Legal Problems
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Employment Considerations
Social Media Policies
Action
Researching Employees and Potential Hires
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Social Media Policies
Broad Concerns:
Connect to general computer use policy
Up-to-date job descriptions Make clear who is to use social media on behalf of
the company
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Problems with Policies:
NLRB and NLRA NLRB has been inconsistent
Starting to develop some guidance
Don’t be too broad
Watch for protected rights
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Acceptable
Prevent Certain Public Rants
Inappropriate comments
No dialogue with other employees
Must not interfere with protected speech
Prevent Use of Company Marks
Logos
Protected Marks Not name of company itself
Clearly explain restrictions in policy
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Narrow Confidentiality
Clauses Restrict disclosure of trade secrets
Cannot restrict all conversation, such as: Wages Workplace conditions
Employee performance
Company performance
Often seen as protected concerted activity Specifically explain what employer means by
confidential and proprietary Provide examples
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Opinions Protected
Employees may engage in discussion of opinions with other employees
Even if factually incorrect
Cannot require absolute accuracy in policy
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Enforce Workplace Policies
Entitled to enforce workplace policies
Prevent sexual harassment, malicious activity,violence, etc.
Failure to become involved when appropriate canbe problematic
Absolutes and mandates are a problem for NLRB
Provide examples showing types or behavior, i.e. Examples of harassing, obscene or threatening
language
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Watch for Broad
“Courtesy Clauses” Do not try to prohibit all distasteful language
Encourage polite behavior
Do not try to implement wholesale restrictions
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Include a Savings Clause
Make clear the policy is not to be construed insuch a way as to violate employees’ rightsunder the NLRA
Not dispositive but can help
Keep policy transparent in intent to follow Act
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Cox Communications, Inc., Case
17-CA-087612 (October 19, 2012) Prohibited employees from making
comments about “customers, co-workers,
supervisors, the Company, or Cox vendors orsuppliers in a manner that is vulgar, obscenethreatening, intimidating, harassing, libelousor discriminatory.”
Such “communications are disrespectful andunprofessional and will not be tolerated.”
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Cox Policy
Required respect for Intellectual PropertyLaws
No infringement of Cox Logos and BrandNames
Included Savings Clause
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Facts
Customer called employee “faggot.”
Employee posted on Google+
:"Just because you are having problems with yourTV service does not mean you should call me afaggot! ^%$& YOU!“
Employee terminated
Violated social media policy Language
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Policy and Termination
Acceptable Policy did not restrict protected concerted
activity
Clearly meant to stop vulgar, obscene,threatening and other egregious conduct.
Proprietary interest in trademarks alsoacceptable
Posting by employee not concerted
Directed at customer not co-worker
Employee was not seeking collective action
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Handling a Problem
Have a plan in place for handling problemsthat arise
Do not react in anger
Investigate nature Directed at customer, individual? Harassing or
threatening?
Directed at co-workers, seeks to initiate groupaction?
Do not discipline for protected concertedactivity
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Researching and HiringEmployees
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Rewards
Excellent and personalized referral network
Inexpensive and easy research
Good presence attracts potential employees Zero or sloppy presence might cause some to
lose interest in company
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Risks
Learn items shouldn’t know
Marital Status, Pregnant/Children, Race, Age, etc.
Reliability? The right person?
Made up account?
Good recommendations for bad employee?
Lawsuit issue
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Practical Matters
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Considerations
Who does the work?
How do you define the responsibilities?
How do you handle negative PR? Any unique risks or concerns to your client?
Improper impact on stock
Health care information Client confidentiality
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Intellectual Property
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Easy to Steal
Very easy to steal IP online
Users frequently do not believe copyright andother protections exist on the web
Hard to protect in terms of technology
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Trademarks & Social Media
Ability to pick own usernames/assign names
No proactive prevention in social media
Retroactive protections in place to complain if trademark is being used
Must police Trademark to protect BUT
Beware the unnecessary take down due to PR
concerns
Consider a polite phone call first
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Protect Content and Marks
Have a strong online presence Makes it more difficult for others to get away with
confusing or harmful activities
Use technology Google and Yahoo alerts to search key phrases and
terms
Copyscape – checks for copies of written content
Twilert for Twitter alerts
Enough money – hire services to searchtorrents, YouTube and other services
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What Should you Do?
See violation?
Notify provider’s agent
Identify where material appears
Certify ownership
Risk penalties and attorneys fees if wrong
Large social media sites normally have onlineform
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Who Owns It?
Unclear law at the moment
Twitter account used by employee whileemployed at PhoneDog
Employee continued to use account
PhoneDog sued for misappropriation of confidential information and trade secrets.
Survived motion to dismiss on trade secrets
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Who Owns It?
Employee had LinkedIn account
Account created at behest of company
Used company email address (as required)
Used company template (as required)
Company retained password
Employee terminated
Company changed password Changed Name and Photograph to be new employee
Other items (honors, awards, recommendations)remained
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LinkedIn Account Ownership
Employer liable for infringing publicity rights of Employee Key to note, for several weeks when searched
employee’s name, were taken to her replacement
instead Employee’s identity had “commercial value due
to her investment of time and effort indeveloping her reputation.”
Employer had no policy on this matter
No money awarded to Employee, no proof of damages She was pro se
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Lesson?
Make it clear who owns what, in writing
Understand the different kinds of sites
Some very individual and hard to move Others easily altered
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Advertising
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The Basics
FTC regulates advertising
Unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affectingcommerce
Has released guidelines
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/guides/guides.shtm
All endorsements and advertisements must
be honest
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Testimonials/Reviews
Many sites encourage recommendations ortestimonials
Employees should not write reviews Can violate law
Will violate site rules
If provide product or compensation to
blogger or reviewer, reviewer must reveal
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Behavioral Advertising
Target based on data collection Creates profile for users
Provides appropriate ads based on profile
Follow privacy regulations of appropriate statesand countries Provide opt outs
In its infancy, developing area
Starting to combine on and offline behavior
Can be controversial and cause negative PR Be prepared
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Example
Search “taking credit cards” on Google
Review appropriate sites
Visit Facebook later See ad
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It Works
Facebook has seen substantial increase in adrevenue due to more productive ads
Google ad revenue was flat, has increasedsince introducing behavioral advertising
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Affiliates
Affiliate relationships can substantiallyexpand profitability through social media
Make certain social media policies also controlaffiliate behavior
Monitor for contract compliance
Require appropriate credit card security by
affiliates Compliant with PCI Security Standards Council
PCI = Payment Card Industry
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Contests & Sweepstakes
Complicated rules and requirements
Unique from state-to-state
Varies based on type
Be cautious
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Sweepstakes – No Skill
Required (Click a Button)
l ll
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Goal – Increase Followers
on Google+
Award – iPad torandom winner
One on each network
Included brandedvideo on nursing home
abuse awareness
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Result
Spread of video on nursing home abuse
Engagement of audience on subject
Substantial increase in followers onFacebook, Twitter and Google+
Increase in awareness of law firm’s brand onsocial media
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Contest – Requires Skill
(Take a Picture)
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AEO Best Shot
Submit picture in American Eagle Outfitter’sclothing
AEO advertised throughout its substantial
network (including social media)
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Results
People excited about opportunity to becomepart of AEO campaign and to win giftcertificates
Massive discussion on social media
Picked up by bloggers
Generated buzz
Increased brand awareness
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Viral
Quickly and widely spread or popularizedespecially by person-to-person electroniccommunication
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Viral
Can be positive or negative, depending onwhat goes viral
Normally accidental
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Example: Old Spice Man
Commercial created for Super bowl in 2009
5 months later, 13 million hits on YouTube
Moved to Twitter "Today could be just like the other 364 days you
log into Twitter, or maybe the Old Spice Manshows up @Old Spice.“
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Old Spice Man
Over two days, conducted a social media blitz
Old Spice Man responded to questions andcomments on Twitter
Marketing team created 180 videos inresponse to questions and comments
Celebrities got involved in the exchange
1000 percent follower increase on Twitter
600,000 likes on Facebook
Made younger people interested in Old Spice
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Why Did It Work?
Luck – Hit a chord
Luck – Founder of Digg.com got involved He has over 1 million followers on twitter
Responsiveness – took advantage of luck Quick responses on Twitter
Quick responses on YouTube
Told a story, he stayed in character
Videos were short and straight forward
Funny (caught attention)
Engaging
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How Not to Handle
Bad Viral PR Comment left on Applebee’s receipt
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Applebee’s Receipt
A different waitress posted a copy on Reddit Receipt went viral
Receipt writer angry (name was visible)
Applebee’s fired waitress No policy to provide guidance
Waitress checked employee’s manual before posting
People angry, more attention Defensive response from Applebees Negative, angry comments on Facebook
Kept trying to respond, no response calmed peopledown
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Better Response
Clear social media policy Prevent in first place
Simple, non-defensive statement
Allow people to work out their anger Stop responding over and over again
Eventually things calm down. The more
responses, the more ammunition Be prepared ahead of time for negativity
Have a plan
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Beware the Streisand Effect
Picture of Barbra Streisand’s house on web
Few people noticed
Sued for removal
Result?
Everybody noticed
Picture still on web
Lesson learned?
Sue cautiously
Make a fuss, cautiously
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Dealing with Online Mistakes
Don’t make them (i.e. think first)
Apologize (sincerely)
Lay low
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Two Things to Remember
Rules and laws that apply offline apply online
Amount of impact (good or bad) is increasedby the number of potential viewers
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Thank You
Jennifer Ellis [email protected]
www.jlellis.net
www.lowabram.com