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View Full Version : Understanding image copyright on the internet



Harold Mansfield
11-30-2016, 02:04 PM
It's 2016 and I still have new clients who, when asked if they have any images, say "We'll just find some good ones on Google images".

Many of you know that you can't do that. That you can't just grab random images from the internet to use on your website, blog posts, social media posts, promotions, brochures and so on and so on.

Take it from experience, nothing makes you feel stupider or more like an amateur than being contacted for violating image copyright. It happened to me once for an image I used as an avatar and displayed when I made comments on a website. Yep, even using it like that.

I always give clients a simple rule: If you didn't take the image, purchase the image, or otherwise don't own it or have permission to use it...don't.

Hootsuite gives a little more info about image copyright and usage here:
https://blog.hootsuite.com/understanding-image-copyright

nealrm
11-30-2016, 03:18 PM
I always give clients a simple rule: If you didn't take the image, purchase the image, or otherwise don't own it or have permission to use it...don't.


I'll take that one step further, if you don't have something in writing that states you purchased the copyrights, you only purchased a license. That means you don't own the photo and can only use them as stated in the license. Many people assume that because the paid for the use of the photos that they own the photos.

Harold Mansfield
11-30-2016, 03:47 PM
I'll take that one step further, if you don't have something in writing that states you purchased the copyrights, you only purchased a license. That means you don't own the photo and can only use them as stated in the license. Many people assume that because the paid for the use of the photos that they own the photos.

That is a good point and this subject does warrant details and specifics. I've had a few people who've had images on their computer that they saved from one source or another over the years, and after while talk themselves into believing that since they're on their computer that they own them.

nealrm
11-30-2016, 04:47 PM
You see a lot of that in professional photography work. The standard is to license the images for specific uses. Even things like wedding, school and event photos may be licensed instead of sold.