my garden gate
Copying digital photos for the WWW – what’s OK and what’s not – YES, NO, and MAYBE
Please note – this post has been modified twice since 09 09 15 due to changes being made with photo sharing websites, (eg. Creative Commons). Keep updated by visiting the share sites discussed in this post.
It’s very tempting, wanting to use an image we see on the web for our website or blog posts. But just because it’s available doesn’t mean we are free to copy an image. Always check for permission, you may be surprised to find that you may. Most website owners welcome the opportunity to have their website referenced.
YES you may - At the International Quilt Study Study Center and Museum website, viewers are allowed a one time copy per image. You will find other sites are generous as well. Check the website policy of what is allowed.
from my brother's website, www.geolmaps.com
FREE – My signature stripes are available free. The Vision Test for Artists is also free. Photos of old printed material and art are in the public domain, such as this geological map.
screen capture of Flickr's Creative Commons
At Creative Commons.org ,a search query for photos, as of November, 2009, brings you to the typical Google listing of related sites and often a Google photo collection. When you start your search, be sure to pay attention to the 2 small “tick off” boxes on the right side of the green banner. These 2 options are modify, adapt or build upon and/or use for commercial purposes. Creative Commons.org invites everyone to share all types of knowledge through its own licensing that supports standard copyright regulations.
CC banner showing related to links to Google and Flickr and other sharing sites
Flickr’s Creative Commons operates a bit differently. There are some slightly different copyright © restrictions. At Flickr, after you find a photo you are interested in, you must scroll down the right sidebar of the search windows to verify if you may use any photo. Most photos may be viewed by anyone, but many are completely ©.
NO - At Cats Who Quilt, the “copying prohibited language” is very strong and is repeated in several places. Artists, photographers and web based publications will have copyright restrictions. That’s how they make a living. Search to be sure before you take that screen shot.
MAYBE – A Google search on just about any topic will yield many of the millions of photos its powerful search engines have culled from the Web.
Every photo is linked to its source page, and a copyright warning is always visible. If you want to use these photos you could contact the owner through the URL included. If they say it’s OK, include the appropriate credit. To display one of my quilts at Quilts4U, I did ask for permission, then overlaid my quilts for this virtual display.
Free Home Furniture acknowled
You might argue it’s OK using these photos since Google has amassed and sorted millions of them and then put them at the top of searches; however all that Google has done is collect images by search criteria that are displayed on the owners’ websites.
Digital copyright laws vary in different countries. In general it’s not OK to use a photo without permission. Conversely if an image is in the public domain, you may not copyright use of that image unless you make substantive changes that add value. Obviously this is a gray area and can vary by country.
image purchased from Fotolia
Worth mentioning are the many websites offering extensive photo collections royalty free for as little as one dollar or less per image. Then it’s yours to use repeatedly. Due to the tremendous adoption of digital photography, there are now far more photographers seeking ways to provide photos at reasonable royalty rates.
Fiber artists, use your own work as examples. Learn how to take better pictures and promote your own portfolio.
It’s not worth the risk of infringing copyright law when so many photos are available at reasonable prices. It’s always your decision.
I’m interested in your insights/experiences of handling the copyright on digital images.
Any comments?
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