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However, the trendy content curator is in hot water right now over some dubious language in their Terms of Service. The language in question states that Pinterest's owner Cold Brew Labs has the right to sell the photos you Pin:
This part of their TOS is worrisome to people for two big reasons. One, businesses don't want to give Cold Brew Labs "a worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, royalty-free license." Nor do businesses want to grant Cold Brew Labs the right to sell those images. Who would?
The second reason businesses are worried is that a lot of websites don't exclusively host original images. Many companies purchase licenses for stock photos, and this has never been a big deal on other social networking sites before. But, as writer GreekGeek from HubPages.com explains, Pinterest is unique in its methods:
GreekGeek goes on to explain that this is considered a "competing version of the image." Everyone knows the importance of being found in search, but if a search for stock photos leads you to Pinterest, rather than the original photographer's website, you can be sure that the photographer will be looking into who granted Pinterest access (especially if Pinterest begins to sell these photos).
What's even more disconcerting about Pinterest's TOS is how it seems to be in stark contrast to Pinterest's mission. On Pinterest's About page, Pinterest tells newcomers that it is a service that "lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web." But in its TOS, Pinterest assumes users that pin links are "the sole and exclusive owner of all" content. These two messages don't line up, and that leaves many businesses, including Aristotle, hesitant.
The fact that Pinterest says one thing on one page and the complete opposite on another is troubling, and it's unclear what will happen with the legalities of Pinterest in the future. The assumption from experts in the field as well as at Aristotle is that Pinterest may be hoping to hide behind their users rather than take responsibility for the infringement themselves.
With a background in Internet law, Elizabeth Bowles, President and Chairwoman of Aristotle, had this to say on the matter:
If you have any questions relating to Pinterest or need help marketing your brand online, please call Aristotle at 501-374-4638 or toll free at 1-800-995-2747.
For more tips and insights on social networking channels, be sure to follow Aristotle on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+.
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