Facebook owns the photos, videos, and statuses you upload...

In short: if you upload a photo, Facebook is 100%, completely allowed to use it (or sell it) until you delete that photo or delete your account.

Doesn't sound like they "own" them to me. Sounds like they lease them while you host them on facebook servers.

Little does facebook know, I don't own the copyright on any of my pictures that I post. I transferred that ownership to "Impaler Inc. LLC" long ago.

I'm in copyright violation with all the photos I post, and I do not have the right to transfer ownership, even temporarily, to any 3rd party such as facebook.

That doesn't mean Facebook owns your pictures. It just means you gave them a nonexclusive license to your pictures. You still have ultimate control over your pictures elsewhere (and if you don't want to revoke your license to facebook, just delete it from facebook).

Frankly, without giving Facebook a nonexclusive license to your pictures and posts, then Facebook would not be able to work since Facebook wouldn't be able to display that picture or your post to your friends. Although the transferable and sublicenseable aspects are kind of a dick thing to have.

I hereby declare that my copyright is attached to all of my personal details, illustrations, graphics, comics, black velvet paintings, funny cat photos, videos, drunken ramblings and criminal admissions. (as a result of the Berner Convention). For commercial use of the above my written consent is needed at all times!

By the present communiqué, I notify Fark that it is strictly forbidden to disclose, copy, distribute, disseminate, or take any other action against me on the basis of this profile and/or its contents. The aforementioned prohibited actions also apply to employees, students, agents and/or any staff under Fark's direction or control. The content of this profile is private and confidential information. The violation of my privacy is punished by law (UCC 1 1-308-308 1-103 and the Rome Statute).

RexTalionis: Although the transferable and sublicenseable aspects are kind of a dick thing to have.

Although they can't do much with it, if one can remove their right to the pictures by deleting them.

schnee: RexTalionis: Frankly, without giving Facebook a nonexclusive license to your pictures and posts, then Facebook would not be able to work since Facebook wouldn't be able to display that picture or your post to your friends. Although the transferable and sublicenseable aspects are kind of a dick thing to have.

^this

TFA makes a suggestion that is less annoying than the vapid posting of the copyright, but ultimately, FB asserts what is will and the users agreed to it.

The Farktography community had a similar discussion when we started taking the contests ... well, not seriously but we wanted to know who owned what. Fark's TOS is essentially the same, but doesn't assert transference and sub license rights, IIRC.

The 'best' of these licenses usually contain verbiage that says that the rights only apply when actually providing the Service, whatever that happens to be (e.g. hosting the content).

/IANAL

That's the reason I've kept hosting photos on Picasa instead of Flickr. Until late in Flickr's life they did require sub-license and did not restrict it to only providing their service; Picasa left all rights alone except for what they needed to host the pictures.

Facebook might be serious in not using the photos and videos they host. They'd run into a ton of problems if they ever sell any of my photos, I don't have a model release and I didn't claim to have a model release when I clicked "I Agree". Right to publicity varies by state, and it would be a huge problem for them the first time they lost a case like that.

Slaxl: I really have trouble worrying over the fact that Facebook "owns" the picture I put up of me and a friend, or the picture of London burning in the great riots of a few weeks ago. No one cares... what are they gonna do? Sue me because they're on Facebook? Big whoop, try, I don't care, no one cares.

Until they sell that pic of London to a newspaper and *they* pocket the money.