Post by Major Major on May 13, 2015 17:59:47 GMT
Guidelines on Copyright
What is copyright?
Copyright is a form of protection provided by the law to the authors of “original works of authorship”. By virtue of the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, works are protected in all 168 countries that are party to the Convention, as well as various other laws, such as the US copyright act.
Does this apply to photographs?
Yes, it applies to all photographs. From the time it is created, a photo or other image is automatically protected by copyright.
What is copyright infringement?
Infringement can include a violation of the rights of the creator or rights of the holder. Examples of imagery infringement may include:
- Use of whole or part of an image without permission
- Use beyond the scope of a license or permission
- Adapting an image without permission (art rendering)
- Asking another photographer to identically recreate the image
Why should you worry about copyright infringement?
Infringement of copyright may result in monetary damages, lawsuits, costly legal fees and under some rare circumstances, criminal charges.
You are using an image you found through a Google Image search. If it’s on the internet, it’s free, right?
No. Just because you found an image on the internet, especially through a Google image search, does not mean that it is free; you may need a license to use it. There is a difference between an image being online and an image being “in the public domain” (the term given to content that is not owned or controlled by anyone).
Is it possible to get free images legally?
Yes; there are sources of free, legal images on the internet. Do a search for “free stock photos”.
Does that mean these free images have no copyright?
No. Copyright is automatically granted to the creator of any image. That copyright holder must specifically declare the image as free to use. So, when using free images, always ensure you read the copyrights and permissions for the image you want to use.