Copyright Issues & the Web

Basic Rules of Netiquette

By Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries (http://digital.lib.uh.edu/u?/p15195coll14,67) [FAL], via Wikimedia Commons

Finding Images for

Your WebsiteCreating Your Own Images

Buying ImagesLegality of Downloading Images

The Price is Right The web is a wealth of image

resources Some are available free Others are available for a fee ranging

from relatively cheap to very expensive

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istockphoto.com

Millions of Images Guaranteed image quality Pay as you download or buy a

membership

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Finding Free Images

Finding images for your site can be as simple as Googling "free Web graphics“

This query returns over 124 million hits in Google

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Finding Free Images Google, Microsoft, and other search

companies have specialized image search engines:◦ http://images.google.com/ ◦ http://www.bing.com/images

The quality of the images is often poor It may be hard to find what you are

looking for

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Copyright Issues

Taking images from the Web is as easy as “taking candy from a baby”, BUT…

Be aware of copyright issues You can use just about any image for

practice, but any image you plan to publish should be cleared with its source, even if you got it for free

Contact the original creator to make sure your use is legal and permitted

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A work is protected by copyright as soon as it’s “fixed in tangible form”.

This means you can see or hear or touch the work, whether by looking, listening to, or touching the thing itself

You don’t have to register with the Copyright Office to get a copyright.

You don’t have to mark your work as copyrighted, either.

Assume that ALL works you encounter, marked or not, are protected by copyright.

Copyright is Automatic

if you link back to the source and list the photographer's name

if the picture is not full-sized (only thumbnail size is okay) if you did it innocently if your site is non-commercial and you made no money from

the use of the photo if you didn't claim the photo was yours if you've added commentary in addition to having the pic in

the post to claim it is no longer an original work if the picture is embedded and not saved on your server if you have a disclaimer on your site if you immediately take down a pic if someone sends you a

DMCA notice (you do have to take it down, but it doesn't absolve you.)

NONE OF THAT releases you from liability.

It DOESN'T MATTER...

http://www.hybridlava.com/photography/impressive-urban-decay-photography-examples-for-inspiration/

Photos link to the originals that are clearly copyrighted; is this allowed?

http://www.travelandescape.ca/2012/11/20-tips-on-how-to-travel-cheaply/?wXFg&utm_source=Stumble&utm_medium=Paid+Discovery&utm_campaign=November+Stumble&wQZg

Pig picture: who owned it originally?

Interesting Example…

I found something interesting on someone else's blog. May I quote it?

Yes. Short quotations will usually be fair use, not copyright infringement.

If you are commenting on or criticizing an item someone else has posted, you have a fair use right to quote.

The law favors "transformative" uses — commentary, either praise or criticism, is better than straight copying.

Other Info for Bloggers…

Ever read a terms of service document? Both Pinterest and Tumblr (and most other

social sites) say that if you load something into their site (i.e. Pin It or Tumble it)…

…YOU are claiming that YOU have a legal right to that picture.

If the owner of that photo comes after the company, you will be the responsible party.

Pinterest goes so far as to say if you REpin something, you're saying you have the right to that photo!

Use sites like Pinterest, Tumblr, and Facebook with caution

Yes. Facts are facts, e.g. the sky is blue. You are free to report the facts and ideas

embodied in another person's article or web page, such as when you reblog something

Copyright only protects the expression — the unique structure that expresses the information — not the facts themselves.

Am I free to copy facts and ideas?

PUBLIC DOMAIN IMAGES

Finding Images to Use

Public Domain Images There are many sites offering

royalty-free, public domain images ◦They do not need to be paid for – no

royalties for the creator

There are great links on the class site which you should use for your work:◦webdesign35s.wikispaces.com/Royalty-

free+Image+Resources

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The mere fact that a photograph is posted on the web does not mean it’s in the public domain.

Don’t help yourself to other people’s photos unless you have permission or you know the photo is free to use

Never assume that lack of a notice means a photo isn’t protected by copyright.

Chances are, you have broken the law…

How to identify public domain photos

What you want to see is unequivocal language acknowledging that the author is giving up all rights in the work and allowing you to do whatever you want with it. It's best if the public domain dedication is

in writing and the author's intention clearly expressed.

If it isn't, you'd better verify.

What should you look for?

If photos are in the public domain, aren’t they free of all use restrictions? The answer is…

... yeah, mostly. Some image resources have a mix of public domain

and copyrighted photos. Some of the owners of the photos have placed use

restrictions on copies. Often, all that’s asked is that you credit the photo

source. Crediting is the right thing to do. You’d like to be credited for your photos, wouldn’t you? Always give credit where credit is due.

The Golden Rule

Creative Commons is an organization that makes it easy for artists to license their works.

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/

Creative Commons Licenses

Downloading Images To save an image, right-click the

image and choose Save Picture As… Sometimes there’s a download

button

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Downloading Images Downloaded graphics sometimes have

strange file names so make sure you rename them with something clear and descriptive

Keep your picture collection organized: sort them into folders, such as Nature, Sports, People, etc.

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Other Image Sources

Digital Camera◦Even inexpensive ones are fine for the

Web◦Which file type do you think they would

shoot? Scanner

◦Scanners can be found for less than $100◦Remember that if you scan an image

somebody else owns, you're still subject to copyright laws

◦File type?

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Any Questions?

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