Over the last decade, we have been introduced to social media platforms that connect us to a network of people all around the globe. These platforms have given people the opportunity to brand themselves overnight and ultimately become an influencer or, if you are lucky, a celebrity. Take Justin Bieber as the perfect example. He created YouTube videos of himself, acquired a fan base, and was ultimately discovered by the famous singer Usher. As years pass by, we will continue to find new platforms that encourage people to market themselves such as Tik Tok.

What is Tik Tok?

Tik Tok, a fairly new social media platform, could be considered the new “YouTube,” being that millions of people have taken to the App with their talents. This App allows for users to create and share videos. Whether it is singing, cooking, dancing, creating inventions, or comedy; there are at least millions of people that can access your video. Tik Tok has grown immensely in popularity over a short span of time. We are even seeing it generate lucrative gigs for many individuals. But with so many videos being made, you have to wonder if any of your public works are being used without your authorization.

Infringement on Tik Tok

What happens when a Tik Tok user desires additional content to ‘spice up” their video?  Well Tik Tok has a wide selection of licensed songs that can be used to enhance content. But that’s not the problem. The problem is when a Tik Tok user stumbles upon a song they found on SoundCloud, downloads it, and adds it to their video without authorization. If the musician did not grant this user the rights to play their song, they may have a claim for copyright Infringement complaint against the Tik Tok user.

How is Intellectual Property Infringement Enforced on Tik Tok

If you feel your content is being used without authorization, you can send a copyright infringement notification to Tik Toks Infringement Department. This notification would need to consist of the following: contact information, a clear and complete description of the work you believe was infringed upon, the URL identifying the location of the infringing work, a statement made under the penalty of perjury asserting yourself as the rights owner, and lastly your signature. This information is available at https://www.tiktok.com/legal/copyright-policy?lang=en. This notification is sent to the infringing party as well as Tik Tok for further investigation.

Now, if only it was that simple. Tik Tok allows the infringing party to submit a copyright infringement counter-notification if the user believes this was an error. This process takes up to 10 days to complete. This can be a very tedious task. Especially when thousands of Tik Tok users may be using your music without authorization.

How can we Help?

Hiring an attorney to protect your intellectual property is becoming a necessity. As we share videos throughout the net, users could potentially be gaining a profit from videos that may contain your intellectual property. Since this is an App that over 2 billion people have downloaded, your content may be in thousands of videos. Asserting numerous copyright complaints can become a very exhausting task. My firm can monitor, police, and enforce your intellectual property rights in a timely and effective manner.