The Web is visual. You have no option. Your website must use images. Colors and images create mood and emotion and both are important in buying decisions. But, where do you find good content images? Images that will not end up costing you dearly legally are really hard to find.
Every image you find online belongs to someone. A photographer has invested time, energy and expense to capture that perfect image, so they are entitled to be paid for its use. Sometimes people are willing to let you use their photos for free under certain conditions. You need to ask before you use any picture.
Below are some common misunderstandings about image use:
Image Source: Image Creative via Shutterstock.
Images You Find Online
Every image belongs to someone. You can NEVER just take an image from another website, even if you link back. Sometimes the copyright owner will take you to court and sue you for thousands of dollars for using their image without written permission. There are many cases where this has happened.
You can never copy a photo you find on another website. That is theft. If you link back it is theft. If you use it in a meme or infographic it is theft. You must research any photo you use very carefully. That is the only way to stay out of court.
Public Domain Images
Public domain rules are anything but simple. An image might be in the public domain in one country but copyright in another. Some 60 year old images are automatically in the public domain, others are not.
You can find collections of public domain images but all carry health warnings. You cannot use even public domain images that contain recognizable photos of people or private property, including logos without signed releases from the model, property or logo owner.
Are Public Domain Images Safe to Use?
They are safer than most. They have the added advantage that you are not required to link back to the source. They are not 100% guaranteed safe though.
US Government Images
People often quote US government photos as being totally safe but the screenshot above shows they are not.
Are US Government Images Safe to Use?
Many are safe, but you still need to check. You also need to check for faces, logos and property rights issues in every photo.
Creative Commons
There are different creative commons licenses. You need to understand the limitations of each one. All involve linking back to the source. Some allow you to use the image commercially. (Use on a blog counts as commercial use.)
Photos that are licensed with a creative commons license rarely have model releases or property releases. Anyone who sees thin your photo can sue you in the courts for using their image without permission. The same is true if you have a picture of someone’s house or car. You need a signed release by the owner of any property depicted in your photo.
Are Creative Commons Images Safe to Use?
Maybe. You still need to check for earlier publication of the photo to make sure someone has not taken a copyright image and re-posted it as creative commons. You can also only use images that are licensed for commercial use, even if it is just to illustrate a blog post.
Flickr
Flickr is the single most widely-used source of website images. Anyone can post any image on Flickr and re-label copyright material as creative commons. Yes, it is illegal, but the copyright owner is going to come after YOU, not the person who re-labelled his copyrighted photo.
Even big players like the BBC have been caught using Flickr images without permission.
Are Flickr Images Safe to Use?
Probably if you hotlink the image rather than hosting it on your own server, but it is still best to take legal advice before doing so. Most Flickr images have no model releases or property releases, so using them opens you up to legal concerns because you cannot just use someone’s image without permission.
Every Tom, Dick and Harriet post pictures on Pinterest. These people do not check copyright or usage permissions. If you just take an image you find on Pinterest it is very dangerous.
Are Pinterest Images Safe to Use?
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They might be, but you need to check the image source and history to be sure. Pinterest images are highly unlikely to have model or property releases, so using them is never going to be trouble-free.
Free Stock Photos
The better website building programs, like IM Creator, include a section with free to use photos called IM Free, but there are still rules you have to follow. You can also use Pixabay although their database isn’t as rich as the aforementioned IM Free.
Sources of Genuinely Free Images
Free Stock Photo Sites
Free stock photo sites have some images available for free. You usually have to use an attribution link back to the site andd you still have to be careful to check for model and property releases.
Your Camera
Image Source: Image Creative via Shutterstock.
You might think your own personal pictures are safe to use, but you still need property and model releases. Taking photos of the Eiffel Tower and using them can land you in hot water, because the owners of the Eiffel Tower have property rights and you need their permission to use an image of their property.
Even a street scene that includes people’s faces and cars can lead to trouble.
If you intend to take your own photos then you are best avoiding technology, faces and famous buildings
Bonus Tip:
A new emerging technology called “In Image Monetization” can allow publishers and webmasters to monetize their images, or create images from HTML code alone. imonomy, a pioneer in the in-image advertising field does just that.
Screenshot Source: https://tctechcrunch4011.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/screen-shot-2013-05-23-at-18-02-08.png
Through using their platform, you can actually get access to millions of copyright free photos as well as to generate additional income.
Your Thoughts?
Are you happy to take the risk of being caught? Where do you find images and what checks do you make? Please share your thoughts using the comments box below.
The post Some Common Legal Misunderstandings About Image Usage appeared first on Speckyboy Web Design Magazine.
Some Common Legal Misunderstandings About Image Usage
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