Stories of a social media influencer: analysis of the implications of uses of creative works on instagram stories in light of colombian copyright law
| Autor | Martín Enrique Velasco Pérez |
| Cargo | Lawyer from the University of los Andes in Bogotá |
| Páginas | 149-181 |
149
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*
abstract
This work makes an analysis of the Copyright implications of the use of protected
works in Instagram “Stories” as part of endorsement activities by Social Media In-
fluencers (smi’s) in light of Colombian Law. Social media has brought an economic
revolution where smi’s have found a way to make a living by producing advertise-
ment content in their social media accounts. Some of the key pieces of interaction
used by these influencers come in the form of “Stories” used in the popular Social
Media Platform “Instagram”: photo and video posts, which make constant use
of owned and third party Copyright works. These activities are analysed in light
of Colombian Copyright regime, including provisions of the recently introduced
Law 1915 of 2018.
As an overall outcome it is concluded that Colombian Copyright Regime
matches the standard of protection set up by international treaties in regards of
digital uses of Copyright works, like those made in Instagram Stories. However,
the vagueness of some of the provisions of the laws might bring interpretation
problems respecting such uses.
Keywords: Copyright, Social Media, Social Media Influencers, Colombia, Public-
ity, Instagram, Internet.
* Lawyer from the University of los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia. llm Intellectual
Property Law from Queen Mary University of London in London, United Kingdom.
Abogado de la Universidad de los Andes de Bogotá, Colombia. llm en Derecho de la
Propiedad Intelectual de la Queen Mary University of London de Lóndres, Reino Unido.
Contacto: me.velasco2172@gmail.com. Bogotá, D. C. (Colombia). Fecha de recepción:
11 de marzo de 2019. Fecha de aceptación: 7 de mayo de 2019. Para citar el artículo:
Velasco Pérez, M. E. “Stories of a Social Media Influencer: Analysis of the Implications
of Uses of Creative Works on Instagram Stories in Light of Colombian Copyright Law”,
Revista La Propiedad Inmaterial n.º 27, Universidad Externado de Colombia, enero-junio
2019, pp.149-181. doi: https://doi.org/10.18601/16571959.n27.06
stories of a social media influencer:
analysis of the implications of uses of
creative works on instagram
stories
in light of colombian copyright law
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.º 27 - -ju 2019 - . 149 - 181
Martín Enrique Velasco Pérez
historias de un influenciador digital: análisis
de las implicaciones de los usos de trabajos creativos en historias
de instagram a la luz del derecho de autor colombiano
resumen
Este trabajo hace un análisis de las implicaciones legales del uso de obras protegidas
en las “historias” de Instagram como parte de las actividades publicitarias desarrol-
ladas por los influenciadores digitales a la luz del Régimen de Derechos de Autor y
Conexos colombiano. Las redes sociales han propiciado una revolución económica
en la que los influenciadores digitales han encontrado una manera de ganarse la
vida mediante la producción de contenido publicitario en sus redes sociales. Algu-
nas de las formas clave de interacción utilizadas por estos influenciadores son las
“historias” de la popular red social Instagram: publicaciones de foto y video, que
hacen uso constante de obras protegidas propias y de terceros. Estas actividades
se analizan a la luz del régimen colombiano de derecho de autor, incluyendo las
provisiones de la recientemente promulgada Ley 1915 de 2018.
Como conclusión, se afirma que el Régimen de Derechos de Autor colombiano
coincide con el estándar de protección establecido por los tratados internacionales
con respecto a los usos digitales de las obras protegidas, como los hechos en las
“historias” de Instagram. Sin embargo, la vaguedad y la ambigüedad de algunas
de las disposiciones que las leyes ofrecen pueden traer problemas de interpretación
con respecto a tales usos.
Palabras clave: derechos de autor, redes sociales, influenciadores digitales, Colombia,
publicidad, Instagram, Internet.
introduction
Creative industries have been the most affected by the massive growth of Internet
and Social Media: on-demand consumption of contents and the continuous growth
of social media platforms has had a heavy impact in the way in which the public
consumes creative works, turning streaming and social networks into the most
important entertainment distribution channels. At the same time, social media
platforms’ evolution has put in users’ hands several tools for the edition of User
Generated Content, which bring the possibility of creating new content, or add-
ing third party protected works in several formats (images, video, music, text) to
users’ Internet publications. This evolution has facilitated the regular commission
of hundreds of Copyright Infringements by users of social media every second.
Within this context, a new and successful market, which relies heavily in the
effects that Internet and Social Media has had in creative industries, is growing:
the Social Media Influencer (from now on smi) market. Several people have found
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stories of a social media influencer
a way to make a living by producing digital creative content in their social media
accounts. Due to their popularity, the so-called Social Media Influencers, have
become target partners of commercial actors seeking for a window to advertise
their products.
The involvement of Social Media Influencer content posting, and the use of
Copyright protected works has been particularly strong in the photo and video
sharing platform Instagram, due to its appeal for entertainment content creators
and consumers. Some of the key forms of interaction used by these influencers
come in the form of “Stories”, short photo and video posts, which can be edited
with text, images and sound, that allow the sharing of quick insight of daily ac-
tivities. In many cases, these posts involve the use of third party protected works.
In the present work, the Copyright implications of the use made of creative
works in Stories posts are analysed in light of Colombian regulation, starting from
the basis of an analysis on the relevance that the Social Media Influencer market
has for Copyrights holders in Colombia. The objective is to make an evaluation
of the way in which Colombian copyright regime regulates such uses and to point
out the areas in which the law has weaknesses. This analysis is especially pertinent,
considering that a new Copyright law, which has introduced several provisions in
regards of digital consumption of works, has entered into force.
In order to achieve the proposed objective this work starts by providing a back-
ground description about the Social Media Influencers market, Instagram Stories
and its relationship with Copyright works in Colombian context. Then, a sum-
mary of Colombian Domestic Law on Copyright is made, pointing the structure
and content of its rules. Next, an analysis of the way in which Copyright Law is
applied to the most frequent uses of works in Instagram Stories is made by mak-
ing a quick summary of the subject matter protected, the right holders affected,
the rights involved in such uses, the applicable limitations and exceptions, and
the risks regarding infringement claims; finally, some conclusions are proposed.
It must be stressed that the analysis made in this work will focus only on Insta-
gram Stories and not in Instagram Live streams. Although the way in which these
two kinds of posts are presented is very similar, Live posts have some differences
with high relevance in terms of Copyright exploitation that would require many
more paragraphs of legal analysis, condition that cannot be met in this occasion.
As an overall outcome it is concluded that (i) the Social Media Influencer
market deserves the attention of Colombian Copyright holders as a possible
source of revenues, due to the continuous use that these influencers make of
protected works in their endorsement activities, and that (ii) the recent amend-
ments and additions level Colombian Copyright law to the standards set up by
international treaties for the regulation of digital uses of protected works, however
there are still some provisions that, due to their ambiguity and vagueness, might
bring interpretation problems respecting Stories, Copyright and the use of both
of them made by smi’s.
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