Somewhere in your office right now, a coworker is conducting a Google image search, hitting Ctrl+C, and pasting that image into a blog post or PowerPoint presentation. This coworker has no idea that what he/she did is probably a violation of copyright law, and could expose the company and its client(s) to civil penalties.

Meanwhile, out in Nevada, a firm called Righthaven is purchasing the rights to copyrighted material produced by other companies (such as newspapers), and using a software program to crawl the Web looking for blogs and websites using that content without permission. When it gets a hit, it fires off an infringement lawsuit. No phone call or cease and desist letter. Just an invitation to join them in federal court to answer for your copyright sins.

Social media has transformed the way we communicate and build relationships. It's also made copyright infringement effortless. Ninety-nine out of 100 times, it takes the form of an innocent mistake made by somebody who has no clue what the law says about these things. But that doesn't make them immune to a lawsuit or liability.

Do you know enough about intellectual property law to ensure your social media campaign can deftly navigate these issues? Do you know you know...or do you think you know?

Cheryl Burbach, a partner at the Overland Park-based intellectual property law firm Hovey Williams LLP, will join us to explain the basics of IP law and how it applies to your social media programs.