Today I want to talk about permission. It is a huge public relations issue. Why? Not all PR companies obtain permission when working on co-events or co-accounts to use certain photos, comments, namesakes, etc. This can get you (either as a publicist or a client) into a lot of hot water.
Not everything on the internet is public domain. Also, if you are going to advertise a guest speaker or a celebrity endorsement, you better have written permission to do so beforehand. Otherwise, you will be sued and your brand can be destroyed.
There is no "sure fire" when to check if something is public domain or not. If a celebrity gives a quote to a certain magazine, you may have to reference the magazine before you can republish the quote because of exclusivity rights.
The best way to offset a potential permissions issue is to do the right thing and seek it out before publishing. As professionals in the PR industry, we should already know that if there is even a minuscule chance that a news release will need to be retracted, we can't send it out. A newswire – press release or news newswire – can’t have all of its affiliates and syndicates retract your story once it’s published.
All this said, don't every obtain secondhand permission or permission to use anything over the phone. Send an email or a letter and make sure you have a clear response before going forward. If you release something too soon, you will be liable and after the lawsuits have been settled- the internet will still show traces of the content and/or press release.
Until tomorrow,
Coco the CEO
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