In a decision that has generated considerable controversy, a federal court in New York has held that the popular practice of embedding tweets into websites and blogs can result in copyright infringement. Plaintiff Justin Goldman had taken a photo of NFL quarterback Tom Brady, which Goldman posted to Snapchat. Snapchat users “screengrabbed” the image
Protected Speech
Now Available: The August Issue of Our Socially Aware Newsletter

The latest issue of our Socially Aware newsletter is now available here.
In this issue of Socially Aware, our Burton Award winning guide to the law and business of social media, we discuss the impact online trolls are having on social media marketing; we revisit whether hashtags should be afforded trademark protection; we…
Social Links: Twitter’s troll problem; Snapchat fat-shamer risks prosecution; a federal anti-revenge-porn law?

Facebook Messenger joins the elite “one billion monthly users” club just four years after its release as a standalone app.
A Canadian judge ordered a couple convicted of child neglect to post to all their social media accounts his decision describing their crime.
Leslie Jones of Ghostbusters highlights Twitter’s trolling problem. One tech columnist…
Social Links: Livestreaming goes mainstream; social-media-use guidance for judges; three years in jail for trolling?

Facebook signs more than $50 million worth of deals with media firms and celebrities to create videos for its live-streaming service.
Tumblr is jumping on the live video bandwagon, too—but via live-streaming platform partners, not through its own service.
C-Span picked up live feeds of the Democratic sit-in over gun-control legislation that representatives shot on…
Social Links—Instagram’s logo change causes a stir; stats on social media use at work; lessons from a YouTube star.

The Great Instagram Logo Freakout of 2016.
A UK council policy reportedly grants its members power to spy on residents by setting up fake Facebook profiles.
Guess who spends more of their workday on social media, women or men?
Lessons from one of YouTube’s first (and most successful) stars.
Should sharing tragic images…
Social Links—Facebook-spying litigators; employees’ social media posts; Europe’s Right To Be Forgotten

Defense lawyers who checked out the Facebook page of a plaintiff suing their client can be prosecuted for attorney misconduct, New Jersey judge rules.
Norwegian band changes its name to avoid “social media censorship.”
Can public agencies control their employees’ social media posts?
Google has complete discretion over whether or not to…
The Second Circuit Tackles Employee Rights, Obscenities & Social Media Use
Employers took note last year when the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled that “liking” a Facebook post can qualify as protected activity under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The NLRB held that the owner of a sports bar violated Section 7 of the NLRA by firing employees for a protected Facebook discussion criticizing…