Navigating The Legal Boundaries Of User-Generated Content

We often come across various stories and posts where we see a friend of ours or maybe our favorite Instagram or YouTube influencer posting a photo or video about some or the other brand/product and telling how happy they are by the use of a particular product. It might be an Air Jordan or a lipstick from Huda Beauty. This is termed user-generated content for UGC. This type of content is unsponsored and unpaid; therefore, it is authentic, priceless, and credible. These are real users compared to the actors; consequently, it feels like getting a recommendation from someone you know.¹ UGC differs from influencer marketing; in influencer marketing, the influencers are paid to promote the brand, and therefore, the review's credibility is questionable. Many customers rely on UGC to stay up to date on the products coming into the market. Additionally, such content reduces the burden for marketers who struggle with ideas and have exhausted their pool of ideas. In this digital