Who has rights to your LinkedIn profile?
Discussion
Hi,
A quick question to you employment and social media experts - what do you think of this situation?
My employer is putting together a new online interactive brochure, to advertise its services to potential customers. The company is a B2B consultancy, so the professional networks of the personnel is important. In this (currently draft) brochure, there is a somewhat gruesome photo of me, my phone number, a hyperlink to my email address and one to my LinkedIn profile.
I first started the LinkedIn profile while in this company's employment, but it includes details of my previous jobs and education. And many of my connections were made during my previous jobs. So in some ways the LinkedIn is "mine" but perhaps the Copyright is my employers - considering my contract states (I paraphrase) "everything I do at work is theirs". I would have thought, as a very minimum, they would ask for my permission.
This is probably a grey area, I use LinkedIn to reach out to potential customers as well as check out potential employees. Both use it to reach out to me. Also, potential alternative employers contact me via LinkedIn.
So, over to the PH masses to offer opinion on the moral, ethical and perhaps even legal viewpoints?
I can't say I'm overly bothered, it just raised some questions in my mind.
cheers!
A quick question to you employment and social media experts - what do you think of this situation?
My employer is putting together a new online interactive brochure, to advertise its services to potential customers. The company is a B2B consultancy, so the professional networks of the personnel is important. In this (currently draft) brochure, there is a somewhat gruesome photo of me, my phone number, a hyperlink to my email address and one to my LinkedIn profile.
I first started the LinkedIn profile while in this company's employment, but it includes details of my previous jobs and education. And many of my connections were made during my previous jobs. So in some ways the LinkedIn is "mine" but perhaps the Copyright is my employers - considering my contract states (I paraphrase) "everything I do at work is theirs". I would have thought, as a very minimum, they would ask for my permission.
This is probably a grey area, I use LinkedIn to reach out to potential customers as well as check out potential employees. Both use it to reach out to me. Also, potential alternative employers contact me via LinkedIn.
So, over to the PH masses to offer opinion on the moral, ethical and perhaps even legal viewpoints?
I can't say I'm overly bothered, it just raised some questions in my mind.
cheers!
According to the LinkedIn user agreement, your account is yours and you cannot transfer it (including links and connections) to someone else (unless that someone else has paid for it for you).
https://www.linkedin.com/legal/user-agreement
https://www.linkedin.com/legal/user-agreement
Your LinkedIn profile belongs to you - your company can't claim ownership of it. I assume it's your account and your password etc? Registered on your private email address etc?
The 'everything you do is ours' line refers, I should imagine, to any IP that's created by you and their customers are their customers (not yours).
The 'everything you do is ours' line refers, I should imagine, to any IP that's created by you and their customers are their customers (not yours).
The Crack Fox said:
Funnily enough I was asked by our marketing guru to add my details to Linkedin. I said if I get more parasitical recruitment people chasing me than real people, I'm off. I've registered. I'm inundated already. It's a worthless tool. I have people endorsing my skills who I have never met, people asking to link who are randomers, it's just worthless. Unless you're in recruitment.
Never had that, then again I only connect with people I have done business with, worked with, clients or friends/colleagues. Gassing Station | Jobs & Employment Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff