Social media is about free expression and unlimited sharing, right? Well, not exactly. The ideals and interests found in social media and content publishing can sometimes conflict with laws and legal interpretations, landing content creators in hot water.

While at the New Media Expo, I learned about three major areas where publishers need to be cautious if they don't want to be on the receiving end of a lawsuit. In the interest of full disclosure, these thoughts are purely my own individual interpretations of the content delivered at NMX. None of this information should be construed as legal advice. For legal guidance, I recommend consulting with an attorney who is familiar with your specific legal needs. The panelists, Brian Wassom, Gordon Firemark, Kyle Durand and John Corcoran, presented their ideas in three areas: social media policymaking, consumer protections and intellectual property. The 30-minute panel was fast-paced, but touched on some of the most important legal issues affecting content creators today.

Using other people's content is a great way to engage readers and raise awareness of yourself, your brand, and your business. Creative marketing involves making use of licensed content and, as a navigator of the interwebs, you should get comfortable with the legal implications of using licensed content. The spirit of this isn't to instill fear; it is about understanding the impact of legal matters for you and your business so you can reduce risk and maximize your effectiveness.