JaiGieEse Loc: Foxworth, MS

I'm in the process of building a new website via Shopify. It's been a fine experience. I have enjoyed working with Shopify.

BUT, I have encountered one issue that is NOT Shopify's problem, per se. If one opens a store via Shopify, one can set up some additional outside sales channels to link to their Shopify store. One such is with Facebook. One can link one's store with an existing FB page, or even create a page with which to link. This allows one to set products through Facebook. Another channel is with FB's Messenger. By opening this link, one can have a "Message Us" button added to one's store page, and one can even show product pages on Messenger, and customers can buy through these pages. Sounded great, so I set up both of these.

And that's when the trouble started. After I linked my store - I sell prints and license my images - I first learned that FB had accepted my channel. BUT, most of my images failed to appear on the FB page to which I'd linked. FB explained that the issue was that I was offering Royalty-free licenses to my work, and they won't allow that. FB suggested I read over their terms and rights agreement. When I did, the whole issue became painfully clear.

Here's the pertinent section of the terms. "For content that is covered by intellectual property rights, like photos and videos (IP content), you specifically give us the following permission, subject to your privacy and application settings: you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in connection with Facebook (IP License). This IP License ends when you delete your IP content or your account unless your content has been shared with others, and they have not deleted it."

That's a shocker. Read it again - You grant "a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in connection with Facebook (IP License)." Um.No.

Perhaps I am mis-interpreting this, but it appears to me that FB can do with as they wish any image posted on their service. "non-exclusive, sub-licensable, royalty-free license."

Upon further research, I discovered that FB's Messenger is covered by the very same agreement. Needless to say, I've closed the Facebook and Messenger channels on my Shopify store. I've also pointed out this questionable verbiage to the folks at Shopify. They're investigating.

Worse yet, long before I opened this Shopify store, I, on advice of others, had posted low-res versions of my images on FB as a means of promotion. But not any more.

I'd be interested in whether anyone else has run across this issue, or has had any of their work show up in places they haven't authorized as a result of FB's having used this nice little blanket license.

tramsey Loc: Texas

No, not with F/B, but long ago I learned the hard way when I go into business with someone to read the fine print. If you don't, shame on you. F/B laid it all out in pretty clear language at least it wasn't legalize.

Rick36203 Loc: Northeast Alabama

Looks very similar to the "Submissions" section of the "Terms of Use" page here on UHH, and probably many other sites.

Pablo8 Loc: Nottingham UK.

I don't indulge in Farcebook.. Twitter etc. I hear too many bad things about them. So.............. cannot be bothered!!!

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Do you pay Facebook anything to use their software, online storage for your images, Messenger Service? Their terms of use have been pretty much the same for years although the clarity of language has improved. My point is they provide a lot of technology infrastructure to anyone willing to use these services free of charge. But, these capabilities come with the catch of sharing your IP with them without your control nor even acknowledgement.

Math78 Loc: Scottsdale, AZ

Nothing on the web is really free. Somebody has to pay for it. Facebook is a business, and just like you, they have to make money to stay in business. If you don't agree with their business model, you are free to not use their service. Their user agreement has included language like this for many years. It's a little unsettling when you read it, like signing away your first born, but they get to make the rules. No negotiation - it's their way or the highway. I don't care, I'm just sharing pictures with friends. But if I were a pro, I would not be on Facebook.

JaiGieEse Loc: Foxworth, MS

Could be, but then, I'm not uploading my entire online collection to UHH. Nor does UHH prevent me from offering licenses to my images if I upload them here. Not an good comparison, methinks.

JaiGieEse Loc: Foxworth, MS

What I read is that for any content, including images, that I upload to FB, they get a free, permanent, transferrable and sub-licensable license to anything and everything I upload. As I understand this, if FB connects to my shop, they can download my logos, texts, formats, anything. It would seem to give them access even to the code, and much of the code used on my shop is Shopify proprietary. I don't believe that Shopify will look kindly on someone like FB downloading and re-using their code.

Yeah, FB is indeed free to use. So long as you're fine with their placing endless ads on your page, over which you've no control whatsoever. I've heard accounts of FB lifting use images for us in their own promotion. Sorry, but if they want to use my images, they'll pay for the privilege.