As brands shift more resources to social media marketing to better engage and persuade consumers, some are learning a painful and expensive lesson: The same copyright regulations that guide advertising on traditional platforms also apply to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and a host of lesser players.
"It's not that the laws or regulations are new, it's more that people are looking at them more closely," explains Deidre Richardson, former lead counsel in marketing and trademarks at Restaurant Brands International, which operates the Tim Hortons, Popeyes, and Burger King brands. "People are more litigious in terms of their own personal...