IP for Social Media Influencers and Content Creators

Social media influencers and content creators work hard to establish themselves as subject matter experts for specific topics, brands, and industries. In fact, the influencer marketing industry is expected to be worth $15 billion by 2022, accounting for roughly 15% of total global ad spend. Influencers create various forms of protectable intellectual property while creating content and a brand. So, how do you safeguard your digital content?

Influencers and Creators Shared Intellectual Property

Social media influencers create content that can be protected as intellectual property. The most common are trademarks and copyrights. Domain names, logos, hashtags, and online aliases can all be trademarked.

Copyright can be obtained for videos, photos, written text, artwork, and sound recordings. You can also copyright your own images and visuals, as well as dance moves, slogans, and phrases.

While copyright protects your creative content from being used without your permission, trademarks prevent others from misrepresenting your brand to followers. Both types of IP allow you to distinguish yourself from others and profit from your content.

Influencers Must Respect Others' Intellectual Property Rights

Just as you would expect others to respect your intellectual property rights and seek permission or pay for a licence to use your copyrighted or trademarked material, you must carefully protect the intellectual property rights of others. If you want to mention another creator or use their work on your social media, make sure you get permission first. If you make any direct references to another brand, including their products or services, you should seek permission from them first.

Protecting Your Digital Content

It is a good idea to register your trademarks and copyrights in case you need to take legal action to protect your intellectual property. In the sections that follow, we will walk you through the process of registering a trademark and a copyright, as well as the costs involved.