Most people seem to think that images on the internet are free. And yes, that includes all of the images that you can find and view for free through Google! Others believe it is acceptable to use images or graphics as long as you are not making money with them. The truth is that both are wrong and using graphics without permission can really cost you. With so much emphasis on quality content, bloggers and social media pundits are scouring the internet looking for photos, graphics, and other content to add to thier sites. Photos, graphics, infographics, clip art, and icons are elements that can make a mediocre blog post spectacular! There best way to protect yourself is to understand copyright infringement laws before borrowing any content! All content does not need to be purchased, but you do need permission to use it.

What are copyright laws?

You own the copyright to anything that you create on the internet and so does the creator of that graphic element you want to “borrow”. Copyright laws are the rights granted to the author or creator of an original work, including the right to copy, distribute and adapt the work they have created. These rights, which have been standardized over the past hundred years, can be licensed, transferred or assigned to another party. It is very important to understand that every image is protected under copy right laws from the moment it is created. Copyright protection only lasts for a certain time period after which the work is said to enter the public domain. So you think that no one will ever notice that “borrowed” graphic on your blog or web page. Guess again! Stealing content has become such a rampant problem that the business of finding and enforcing copyright infringement has exploded. There are several companies that now specialize in finding stolen content and collecting restitution!

What is copyright infringement?

Copyright violation, copyright infringement, or outright copyright piracy, is the unauthorized use of photos covered by copyright law, in a way that violates any one of the copyright owners’ exclusive rights. Intentional or not, Infringement includes:

Using an image without permission, or beyond the scope of a license or permission granted

Identically recreating an image

Adapting or using the whole or any part of an image without permission

Stock Images

Stock image directories are the go to repository for images. There are teo common usage licenses in stock photo directories; royalty-free “RF”, and rights-managed "RM". Rights-managed images have the normal rules restricting how and where they can use the image. For example, some typical restrictions may include geographic restrictions, industry restrictions (what industries the image may be associated with), or duration of use restriction (how long you have permission to use the image). Royalty-free licensing seems to cause the most confusion between the two. Royalty-free does not mean “free” or “free from royalties”, but that the buyer is free from having to pay any future royalties in any future projects in which the image is used after the license is purchased. The buyer has purchased almost unlimited usage from the copyright holder.

Creative Commons

Creative Commons is a non-profit organization that has released several copyright-licenses known as Creative Commons licenses. Creative Commons is dedicated to making it easier for people to share and build upon the work of others, consistent with the rules of copyright. If you manage a small website or blog Creative Commons is your friend! The organization created a one page explanation of rights and symbols so content creators could easily communicate which rights they reserve, and which rights they waive for the benefit of recipients or other creators.

There are four symbols and two letter abbreviations used to describe Creative Commons License tenants:

BY: Attribution. All works must be attributed (credited) with a link back to where you found it. This is a basic tenant of all Creative Commons licenses.

ND: No Derivatives. You can't change, manipulate, or composite the graphic. You must use the graphic as is.

NC: Non-Commercial. The images cannot be used on any business websites or pages that make money.

SA: Share Alike. That means you should post your image with the same Creative Commons license as the original.

There are six different types of Creative Commons licenses which licensors can select from, which indicate how they wish their content to be used and attributed. In short, they are: There are six different types of Creative Commons licenses. One common requirement through all Creative Commons Licensing agreements is that the creator is credited for his/her work.

Attribution. This is the most liberal license. It basically allows the licensee to do whatever they wish with the content (tweak, redistribute, remix, incorporate into another piece). This is the most liberal license. It basically allows the licensee to do whatever they wish with the content (tweak, redistribute, remix, incorporate into another piece).

Attribution Share-Alike: This is the same as the attribution license in the sense that the licensee can use the content in any way you wish, but the caveat is that they must license their work under the same Creative Commons license as the original (Attribution Share-Alike).

Attribution No-Derivatives. This license lets the licensee just display the content, the licensee cannot alter or change the content.

Attribution Non-Commercial. This license allows the licensee to use the content in however they like as long as it is for non-commercial purposes.

Attribution Non-Commercial Share-Alike. This license allows the licensee to use the content in however they like as long as it is for non-commercial purposes, must license their work under the same Creative Commons license as the original (Attribution Non-Commercial Share-Alike).

Attribution Non-Commercial No-Derivatives. This is the most restrictive Creative Commons License: the content may only be used for non-commercial purposes and may not be altered in any way.

If you have any further questions visit the Creative Commons website.

What’s the best way to find free content?

The best way to find new content is to use your browser to search for it! There are plenty of websites that offer content with Creative Commons licensing; Flicker being the most famous. Most stock photo sites also offer free images after a free sign up. Websites change their services, and the same licensing rules do not always apply to all the photos on a site. so you must read the licensing rules with each image/content you intend to use. That is the only way to keep yourself from paying $5,000 for a $5.00 photo.

Credits: All images credited to creativecommons.org