All Things Dog Blog

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Who Owns Rights to This Photograph?

Our Help Page for Fido's Freebie Friday has been a big hit. Yet I've felt it was still missing some things, so we've done a bit more work on it. First of all, there's photo tips in the sidebar--easy stuff that you can use with any camera.

Now if you scroll to the very bottom, you'll find I've added some tips on other topics that are more important: legal stuff! We hope you'll take a minute to visit and check this out, for your own protection and that of your giveaway sponsors. Note: We're not offering any professional advice here, but rather some areas where you may want to get some. Here's a bit of what we've shared:

Be sure to check out the new FTC guidelines for bloggers, as well as brushing up on Facebook's new sweepstakes rules. These are both serious topics that can impact you greatly if you're not following them to the letter.
The Pet Blogging Community is a really nice bunch of folks. Yet we're not all terribly business savvy. Just so you know the deal, there are laws governing plagiarism in published writing, even when published on the Internet. This includes not only manufacturers' and retailers' websites, but also other bloggers. It's important to be sure that when you read other bloggers' works, you don't copy or imitate their wording. Not only that, but we'd all enjoy hearing YOUR opinion rather than a repeat of someone else's. Be original!
Photos also have laws protecting the owners. I'm sure you're aware of copyright laws, but be sure you completely understand the permissions you must have when publishing photos of individuals' faces and the use of images from other websites. Do your homework to learn the law and you'll likely enjoy a happier blogging life.
When given permission to use another's written or photo work, be sure to acknowledge it properly, as you would want them to do if it were your own.
Now we're going to give you the opportunity to put us to the legality test. You may Opt Out if you prefer not to receive any direct notification of changes or news about Fido's Freebie Friday by notifying Doreen and I at both of our emails: AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com and DoggiesandStuff@gmail.com. If you elect to Opt Out, we advise you to watch your Twitter stream closely for any news regarding the hashtag #FidosFreebieFriday--changes in times, dates, rules, etc. If you need to reach us, you can also use these methods: Doggies and Stuff on Facebook, All Things Dog Blog on Facebook, Doggies and Stuff on Twitter, and All Things Dog Blog on Twitter.

We hope you find this information useful and encourage you to comment if you have other tips you wish to share. There's always something new to learn. Thank you for participating in Fido's Freebie Friday; we hope to see you again soon. It will open in a few minutes....