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Brief guideline to understand copyright on images and proper use of images from the InternetIn an era where everything is as close as a click, it is sometimes difficult to find out what you can and cannot use from the Internet. Well, let’s try to clarify. How do you deal with copyright and pictures from the Internet? First thing you need to know before using an image that you did not create yourself is that, generally speaking, all of them are protected by some form of copyright . Nothing unexpected, right? However, this might get more complicated when they come from online sources. Websites can actually restrict the use of the images they provide. But we’ll get back to that.
First things first, one factor that you want to be aware of is related to this symbol: ©. Looks familiar? It is the symbol or sign for copyright, and it’s used to notify that works are protected by it. However, truth is, it doesn’t necessarily have to be present in the picture’s information in order for the image to be protected. Although it will always be somehow associated with the image’s metadata. So be careful when downloading images from the internet and examine whether you can actually use the image for the intended purpose. Okay, but how do I do that? How to be safe when using pictures from the internet?Obviously, the safest way is by having the explicit permission given by either the creator or the website supplying it. However, when it comes to images you find online, it would be too laborious to find the photographer who took each image and ask him/her for permission to use it. But there are other options, although they may not be the easiest. For instance, you can use an image when it’s downloaded directly from the creator’s website, if the owner states so in the website.Note that the image must also have the owner’s permission for third parties to use it. Well, you might think that all platforms have the necessary permission. Bad news: That is not always the case. Some platforms have not cleared the permission. So what is the consequence? Ultimately, if you were to use an unlicensed image the consequences can vary from being asked to buy a license to get a fine or, worst case, being brought to court. Additionally, you might have to withdraw all campaigns and material wherever the image is used. Auch… this can hurt big time on your bank account. We always recommend that you read the “terms and conditions” section before using images from any online platform. The conclusion is quite simple: be careful and stay legal (1).
Types of copyright licenseTo know if you can use images found on the internet or not, here are the different licenses(2):
OK, now we have the different licences in place. But you might be thinking: Which licences do the various image platforms have? What are the restrictions?
What websites don’t tell you about their licensesThe fact that a stock photos website has a CC0 license doesn’t directly entail that it will be this way forever. As we all know, the word “free” is always an effective bait to get users to subscribe and use their service. However, after a while, this method is not affordable anymore. And here is where the story begins. Some platforms then decide to change their license to a less open one (4). This can have negative consequences for the users. If the company decides that the images under their new overwritten licenses can no longer be used for specific purposes, then you have to follow these new rules. This could mean stopping your current marketing campaigns if the company decides you cannot use the photos, having to pay somehow, either a membership or per downloaded image. But hey! They are not as clear as they can be when it comes to notifying these changes. And the bad news is: They can change the terms of their license from one day to another without you noticing. And you can get a fine if you don’t respect the new policy. Nevertheless, there is something that might interest you. The license CC0 can’t be changed, which means that what was once CC0 will always be CC0. There’s some relief… The problem comes when a user has to identify which images are CC0 – and therefore cost-free – and which are not. This can be tricky because, as we mentioned before, images from the Internet don’t always have to show the Copyright icon for them to be protected by it. Of course, every change should be mentioned, once again, in the “terms and conditions” section. But don’t expect the website to make a big announcement about their license change. Otherwise, where is the business for them?
Copyright also has legal exceptionsIn case you might be wondering: Yes, there is an exception that might stop you from having legal issues in the future. Although a court would be the final responsible of deciding, there are four factors that will determine the outcome. These are:
Of course, keep in mind that there are limits to this “freedom” that should always be respected (5).
Some facts about image copyright that you might ignoreWe all have surely heard about image copyright at some point. But there might be some interesting facts that are not commonly known, but can help you understand it better. Here you have some!
But what if you still want to download pictures from the internet? If you want to be safeNowadays there are plenty of websites under the title “Free images to download”. These will surely get hundreds of leads from users trying to find the perfect image for their websites. What the users might not know is that these websites do not always have the right to distribute images. Furthermore, some of the websites do not have permission from the people portrayed on the images for them to be used for commercial purposes, for instance. In the long run, it might end up causing legal problems to those individuals who believe them blindly. But there is an alternative to these uncertain platforms! Some smaller companies are covering the legal aspects while offering a catalog of images to subscribers. Here at JumpStory we believe that all images under the Creative Commons 0 license should stay that way. We want to guarantee legal safety to small and medium companies in need of visual content on a daily basis.
What helps to put your image into the computer when you are connected to the Internet?WiFi cameras let you upload pictures automatically to your computer or Web space from any location -- as long as there's an Internet connection.
Are the special software available to download files from Internet?There are enough number of software's in the market for downloading the files from the internet. Few of them are: FLASHGET, INTERNET DOWNLOAD MANAGER, FREE DOWNLOAD MANAGER, JDOWNLOADER, NINJA DOWNLOAD MANAGER, EAGLEGET and FREE RAPID DOWNLOADER.
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