Reviewing (And learning about) Navigating Social Media Legal Risks
If you do a ton of social media consulting, blogging, developing, or anything on the Internet, you owe it to yourself to keep your legal butt covered. The best way to do that is to learn and be aware of all the various laws that concern social media. And unless you’re an attorney, that’s as difficult as all Hell without this book: Navigating Social Media Legal Risks: Safeguarding Your Business. (Disclosure: Affiliate Link)
What it is
This book is essentially a basic reference for any and all legal matters when it comes to social media. It was written by corporate attorney Robert McHale with Eric Garulay contributing. The book attempts to explain some of the various laws and legal issues someone may face when they work with social media.
What I like
To be honest? This is a great book. I’ve waited for a long time for something like this to come around, and now that it’s here, I’m happy it is.
This book provides concise and specific instructions as to the relevant law for whatever it is you’re trying to do. In particular, I wish to point out the first chapter which discusses the running of promotions such as contests, sweepstakes and lotteries (Which, by the way, you DO NOT want to run.) It provides everything you need to run your contests legally, including what to say, what to put in your official rules, how to pick winners and distribute prizes, and ways to cover your posterior.
Of course, the rest of the book is important as well. The book is comprehensive, with topics such as copyright law and gamification covered, as well as dealing with minors on your site. It also provides very nifty summaries at the end of each chapter that include DOs and DON’Ts that you should follow in order to keep you legally secured, which does help reduce the jargon that gets tossed around occasionally in the book.
What could be improved
I honestly don’t really think there are many flaws in this book. It’s very thorough, an excellent legal resource, and very well-detailed.
That detailing, however, is a double-edged sword. If I had to say that this book had a flaw, it’s that it was in the details. Literally. The details can get far too intricate for a layman to understand. BUT, I want to be a little lenient on this because we’re discussing social media and its application to the law. And as anyone who’s studied law can tell you, intricate is being vague when it comes to the terms. Hence, it seems that this book can’t help but be too heavy in the details. Ironic considering that the last book I reviewed had the total opposite problem.
The bottom line
The book provides a very comprehensive approach to social media law that should be enough for any blogger or Internet marketer. It should most definitely be on your shelf, particularly if you do a lot of social media work. You’ll find yourself having to constantly refer to this book.
I want to make one thing clear: If you really have a concern about something with the law, or if you are in any legal trouble, Consult a lawyer. Do not simply rely on this book.
Disclaimer (as required of course:) This book was given to me for free by Que Publishing as a result of winning a sweepstakes. No bias was required or suggested. Also, the link above is an affiliate link.
