Control Image License For Free

If you edit an image that you didn't create, copyright law still applies. The only way to avoid copyright infringement with images is to create unique works, purchase a license to use an image or find a free-to-use image.

The agreement used to grant photo usage rights legally is called a license. In general, there are some restrictions on the scope, type, and limitations covered by image licenses. Licensors grant licensees photo usage rights for an image in exchange for a fee, also known as the licensing fee.

Here's our handy 5+1 guide for checking image copyright: Look for an image credit or contact details. Look for a watermark. Check the image's metadata. Do a Google reverse image search. Search the U.S. Copyright Office Database. +1. If in doubt, don't use it.

The Essential Guide to Using Images Legally Online Use Public Domain Images (a.k.a. 'No Copyright' Images) Public Domain images have no copyright because: ... Use Creative Commons Images. ... Use Stock Photos. ... Use Your Own Images. ... Use Social Media Images Only with Permission. ... Avoid Using GIFs.

It's by no means impossible to use an image that is copyright-protected ? you just need to get a license or other permission to use it from the creator first. In most cases, using the work either involves licensing an image through a third-party website, or contacting the creator directly.

It's important to know that giving credit on its own does not entitle you to use an image. For instance, an image published under an ?All Rights Reserved? license (the default copyright grant, unless stated otherwise), means no rights are granted for any use.

Public domain/No copyright: If a creator has waived all their rights, or the copyright has expired, the work enters the public domain. In Creative Commons, this is listed as CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0). This is the license to look for if you want non-copyrighted work.