![]() Sounds good.īut, of course, there are downsides. And for the most part, the people using these apps benefit. That’s just the way the constant pursuit of the next billion users goes. If there’s one unassailable truth of this ouroboros of innovation, it’s that everything that’s social must converge. Not to mention that all of these companies are ultimately variations on Facebook’s News Feed, which Facebook shored up by acquiring FriendFeed in 2009, in a move that some described as part of a “war against Twitter.” We can do this all day. In fact, Facebook ripped off Instagram with an app called Facebook Camera in 2012-just a month before it changed its mind and bought Instagram for a billion dollars. Facebook has even attempted to recreate Snapchat before, with its ill-fated Slingshot app. ![]() A few weeks before that, Snapchat added Instagram-like photo-storage. Twitter last month introduced Snapchat-like stickers. The question we’re left with, then, is whether it’s acceptable socially, morally, or however you want to frame it, for a social network to cheat off of someone else’s paper.įor starters, there’s certainly precedent. They’re not, in all the ways that Instagram and Snapchat look fundamentally different. In order for this to cross over into legally problematic territory, Instagram Stories would have to share not just the same spirit and functionality, but be “substantially similar” in how they look, as well. This is an area where IP laws don't prevent the copying of another's features or innovations.” “And because the implementation/interfaces are slightly different, copyright doesn't provide any protection. “The idea of featured ‘Stories’ is not new, so any patents would likely be quite specific to implementation details,” says Wagner. That may well be true, says University of Pennsylvania law professor R. Surely, at some point, intellectual property law must kick in. You can’t publicly like or comment on someone’s story, but you can send them a message about it over Instagram Direct.įirst, let's consider the legalities of ripping off a feature with X-acto knife precision. Tap a profile pic, and you’ll be taken to that person’s story: A series of photos and videos from the past day, augmented with stickers and text and drawings. Those with a ring around them have updated their feeds recently. Once you get the latest Instagram update, which starts rolling out today, you’ll see a series of circular avatars at the top of your feed. (If you do use Snapchat Stories, skip ahead, because it really is functionally the same thing). ![]() If you're not already familiar with Stories from your time with Snapchat, here’s a little more info on how Instagram's version works, since it’s a feature you might actually enjoy. Stealing features is nothing new for social networks, but it’s rare to see a ripoff this blatant. Tuesday, Instagram introduced Stories, which lets you group ‘grams into one cohesive narrative that disappears after 24 hours. (But truth be told, you’re probably going to use it for the stalking.In 2013, Snapchat introduced Stories, which lets you group snaps into one cohesive narrative that disappears after 24 hours. With the heatmap function, you can explore the world through a catalog of Snaps collected around specific locations, both in your area and in areas you might want to explore all over the world. If they’ve enabled their location, their Bitmoji might appear in a swimsuit with a tiki drink in hand.īut the Snap Map isn't just for finding your friends - it's also great for finding new experiences. Say your friend is lounging by the water at a rooftop pool. ![]() (Your invite must’ve gotten lost in the Snaps…) Snapchat has even figured out a way to show you what your friends are doing. ![]() Ever wonder if all your friends are hanging out without you? Well, wonder no more, my friend, as the map will all but tell you if there was a spontaneous get-together planned. Thanks to the new location-based feature, you can see exactly what your Snapchat friends are doing whenever they have their location enabled. Thanks to this new feature, you can plan a spontaneous rendezvous, stoke your FOMO fire, and keep an eye on the whereabouts of your buds. Ever wanted to be a fly on the wall in someone else’s life from your small corner of the world? Thanks to Snapchat’s new Snap Map feature, you can - and thankfully, figuring out how to find friends using the Snap Map is a total cinch. ![]()
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