$700.

That's what it would cost me to show you a clip that many of you may have already seen.

I can link to it (which I did in the last sentence and which you can find once again here)... that's fair game. But to embed that video in this post, and make it easier for all of you to view... well that would cost me $700.

How did I find that out?

My background in journalism drives me to want to share the complete story with my audience. But I also understand that you can't take others' content without permission. I think it's fair to say the majority of Steemit posts (even from some of the most popular bloggers) use images that those authors don't have the rights to. It's great that they give credit and source their material, but in many cases, that's not enough.

I wanted to share the story of Vinny Forte (his name is not Benny, as was originally mistaken in the above tweet), an Ohio State University student who drained an epic shot in class to give all of his classmates 100 per cent on a quiz they had to take, according to a student who was sitting in the classroom.

Proof his real name is Vinny...

Once again, if you're wondering what that epic shot Vinny made looked like...

Click Here

So why am I not just embedding the video to this post?

I reached out to Rachel Brown, the Ohio State University student who shot the cell phone video. Although this video is being shared like wildfire, I noticed that she was Tweeting several news outlets, explaining that the video now belongs to Jukin Media.

I e-mailed Jukin Media, asking for permission to use the video that is already super easy to find online, to see if I could show it on my Steemit blog.

Here is the e-mail thread...

Despite explaining that I am an individual blogger with no additional budget for this type of content, Jukin Media wouldn't allow me to post the video, which, if you haven't already watched, can, once again, be found here.

5 questions with Rachel Brown (Student who shot the cell phone video)

I reached out to Rachel to ask her about the video she took, and to gain a little bit of context for what it was like watching Vinny drain that improbable shot.

Since I'm known as the "20 questions" guy... I figured I'd throw 5 questions Rachel's way:

1 - What was the actual bet the professor made? Why did he end up choosing Vinny to take the shot?

Rachel - Vinny was the furthest away from the trash can, which is why I think he picked him. The teacher said he does it every year when demonstrating acid base chemistry (donating a proton is like throwing the paper ball).

2 - When you started filming did you think there was any chance he'd actually make the shot?

Rachel - I didn't, but I filmed just in case.

3 - To your knowledge, how many people have viewed the clip you shot on your phone?

Rachel - I have over 100k re-tweets, but I think it has over 3 million views on YouTube.

4 - What was your classmates' reaction afterward? Did Vinny gain a bunch of new friends?

Rachel - Everyone was really excited about it (free 100 on our first quiz). I'm not sure if Vinny has met people through it but I have emailed him some because of it.

5 - I understand you've given your clip to Jukin Media. How much did you make for shooting that cell phone video?

Rachel - I would prefer not to answer this question if that is okay.

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Why does this matter? (The lesson for Steemit bloggers)

There is an incredible amount of content being shared on Steemit every minute that authors don't have the rights to. Will they get caught? At this point, probably not.

But the more Steemit grows and becomes a household name, I guarantee companies like Jukin Media will be keeping an eye on platforms such as this (especially if a post using their content earns a significant amount of money).

My tips:

1 - Ask permission

With all of my 20 questions interviews, I'm sure to ask permission before I use photos that aren't my own. Most people are happy to have their content shared, but you need to check to cover your bases.

2 - Don't assume

Just because a certain video has gone viral on the internet, it doesn't mean you have permission to embed it in your Steemit post. Once again, the safest bet is to ensure you have permission.

3 - Create your own content

Sometimes we get in the lazy habit of relying on Google for all of our image needs. Do you need a photo of a pen and paper? Take that photo yourself! Get out and start creating your own content that can compliment your posts. When you're unable to produce the content yourself, then reach out to others and ask permission.

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Typically, my blog is all about 20 questions interviews and pieces of fiction and non-fiction I've written over the years. Follow me to catch future content!