What Kind of Images Are Not Copyrighted?
There is no doubt that images are an important part of any website or app. They can buttress a point, break up a page of text, or just add some aesthetic appeal to the presentation.
However, using a copyrighted image without permission is not a good idea. It can attract legal problems and damage your brand’s reputation.
Public Domain Images
Public domain images are creative work that is not protected by copyright. When a creative work enters the public domain, it means that the copyright owner has abandoned all rights associated with it, and now anyone can use it without obtaining permission.
When it comes to using images in your work, you must carefully consider their copyright status. Not only can you be charged with infringement, but in extreme cases, you could even be jailed.
Fortunately, there are several places you can find public domain images that are freely available to use on your projects. Some of these sites may even have a creative commons license that lets you use them without attribution.
Flickr Commons – This project, run by the image-focused platform Flickr, collects public domain visual content from museums, libraries and archives worldwide. This is a huge library of high-quality free images that you can use with no limitations (though some photos might only be available with a premium membership).
The Smithsonian’s Open Access – Launched in February 2020, this site offers millions of copyright-free photographs and other art, architecture, wildlife, and landscapes. They are all available under a Creative Commons Zero license, which means that you can use them in any way without restrictions.
Museums – Many major museums and other cultural institutions are now making high-resolution images of works no longer under copyright, free for use without restriction. It’s important to check each individual museum’s terms of use and image quality standards to ensure that their images are appropriate for your needs.
Google – The go-to search engine, Google has a tool that allows you to filter your search results for licensable images. These images can be used for both personal and commercial purposes as long as you cite the source, credit the creator, and include a link to the website.
Another great resource for finding free, public domain images is Wikipedia Featured Pictures. This site has a massive database of images, and their Paintings, Architecture and Outer Space sections are especially worth bookmarking for future reference. In addition, they make it easy to download any image you like by allowing you to click on an individual thumbnail and immediately save it to your computer or mobile device.
Copyrighted Images
When it comes to putting images up on your blog, website or PowerPoint presentation, you want to be sure that the work is copyrighted. Otherwise, you may end up in legal trouble if the image’s creator files a copyright infringement lawsuit.
There are a number of ways to determine whether an image is protected by copyright. For example, you can check the license information on the image’s website or ask the photographer for permission to use it.
You can also try to trace the image owner by looking for their social media accounts, websites or email addresses. Many countries have centralized databases that can help you find the right person.
Depending on where you are, you may be able to use an image without permission under the fair use provisions of copyright law. However, you should still check the image’s license and make sure that you are using it for fair purposes.
One of the most common types of images that are copyrighted are photos and photographs. These are usually taken by employees or freelancers as part of their job. If you are an employee, the images you take belong to your employer, and you cannot reuse them without permission from the company.
If you are a freelancer, you can usually claim copyright ownership of your own works, but you should always make sure that you have the proper rights to use an image and that you haven’t infringed on someone else’s copyright. This will protect you and your employer from any potential copyright infringement issues.
Another way to avoid copyright infringement is to use only those images that are licensed under the Creative Commons program. These licenses allow you to share images on your own terms without having to pay the full cost of the image, but they do have some limitations.
For example, some Creative Commons licenses require that you provide attribution to the original creator when sharing the image. Other Creative Commons licenses don’t require attribution, but you should still check the image’s licensing information to ensure that you are using it for fair purposes.
Creative Commons Images
Many images uploaded to the Internet are given a Creative Commons license. CC licenses indicate that the image owner has voluntarily chosen to make their work available for reuse under certain conditions, mainly requiring attribution and linkback.
Some free image websites, such as Unsplash and Pixabay, use the CC Zero license which means that you don’t need to give any credit to the image creator but you can still modify it. However, there have been instances where people have been caught using these free images and sued for copyright infringement.
It’s not always easy to tell if an image is protected by copyright or not, particularly when searching online. However, you can always check the license terms and attribution on an image database to make sure that the image you use is not infringing copyright.
The most important thing to do when using a Creative Commons image is to give credit to the original creator. Typically, this should include the title of the work, the author’s name, the image’s source, and the type of Creative Commons license used to publish it. If the creator has asked for attribution in a particular way, it’s best to follow their request.
If you’re not sure which license to use, it’s a good idea to use Bing Images or Compfight to search for images with specific Creative Commons licensing. Generally, these databases will display all Creative Commons licenses, but if you want to limit your search to only those with a specific license type, you can do so by selecting the “license” filter on your search results page.
Alternatively, you can search Art UK for images that have been assigned a Creative Commons licence. These licences are found on the artwork pages of our collection and can be discovered using our license filter on the artwork search page.
You can also look at the licenses on Flickr to determine if an image is infringing copyright. The first letter of the license identifies which licence is being used to protect the image, and clicking on the relevant letter will take you to the full Creative Commons license terms.
Commercial Images
A copyright is a legal right that allows the owner of an original work to control how it is used, sold, distributed and reproduced. The rights holder can use this power to generate revenue from their creation. This can include a variety of forms of creative works, such as literature, musical compositions, artistic and dramatic works and other forms of artistic expression.
Using images in commercial marketing is considered to be copyrighted, which is why it’s important to know the copyright laws and follow them when using images. If you’re not sure whether an image is copyrighted or if it’s in the public domain, check the Copyright Office database for information about the image.
For example, a photograph of an artist’s work may be copyrighted because the creator or the estate of the artist has assigned rights to it. If you’re not sure, it’s best to ask the creator of the image for permission before using their work.
While there are certain types of commercial images that are not copyrighted, such as government documents or photographs that have been published without permission, the majority of pictures that are used in commercial marketing are copyrighted. These are usually the images that are used in print advertisements, websites and on product packaging or labels for products with a commercial value.
In some cases, an image that’s in the public domain or is copyrighted by someone other than the creator may still be subject to the fair use guidelines. This is because some images are created so long ago that they’re no longer under copyright.
Recognizable people and private property in photos that you plan to use for commercial purposes always need a signed release. This is especially true of recognizable brands and logos, and photos that show ticketed entry locations or private restricted areas.
If you can’t locate the copyright owner of a particular image, the next step is to register the picture in the United States Copyright Office. This is a great way to help the image creator, who will then benefit in certain legal situations should their work get stolen. If the picture is registered, it will also be easier to find when using the image in search engines and other online platforms.