The Images Confusion a Perspective That Seems to Work
Just been looking at images today and there are a plethora of both images and sources for obtaining those images. I was surprised, looks like Google has revamped the image dashboard, looks good with more functionality.
Obtaining and using images can be one of our biggest nemesis. It seems to be always causing folks some grief or self-doubt. The easiest solution is to create our own visual content.
As we all know that is not always possible when we are the front of house, chief cook, waiter and bottle washer.
Earlier in the piece, back in the naive greenhorn days, I got caught out using some copyrighted material not good, could have been worse, better not to go there. My rule of thumb, if in doubt don't go there, pretty simple but at least we can sleep easy at night.
When it comes to images I follow this little routine especially if I come across a random image that I like, I think this works.
Only sharing my opinion,
Simple method for checking out the images that we come across online.
Mouse over the image
Right click
Click inspect or Ctrl + Shift + I
Elements
Look for ownership and or type of image, possibly the license.
Image is a bit small, sorry about that folks, text is enlarged below.
As you can see the image that I was looking at was a stock photo from a prominent visual content provider. The upshot, we are skating on thin ice if we proceed to use that image without obtaining a license or permission to do so. If we do obtain that licence, we can use it, but it also pays to read the terms of service and use.
Google does provide a source of images which have a creative commons license. Which means that the author has waived their copyright on that image and provided it for public use.
Simple method for finding creative commons images in Google.
Enter the search title.
In this case Local SEO images.
Click images
Click Settings.
Advanced search.
Advanced image search
Usage rights. there are a number of options
Click on " free to use, share or modify, even commercially ".
Click advanced search.
Image Usage rights info.
This will give a little direction I hope.
Looking at the image selected, a classic image from Pixabay that will suit the purpose and add value to the article.
That is what we are looking for. We are living in some interesting times, there is so much visual content out there we just need to be aware and take the right course of action, doing that will protect our interests but also give us the opportunity to use some incredibly good visual content.
I have probably come from two ends of the scale, at one end we have copyrighted material and at the other end we have creatives providing really good visual content and at the same time waiving their " copyright " on that material which is so kind. The rule of thumb there maybe that they ask for a cup of coffee (donation) or a like or share on Facebook or similar, which given the quality of some of this material, it is not a big ask.
My take is that if we are careful we can use the visual content of others with a clear conscious. Having said that we need to read the terms and conditions of the platform that we are procuring that visual content from. In this case that platform was “ Pixabay “
An example of some terms of service and use
I hope that this is helpful, works for me and it is just my opinion, so if you differ or can add to the conversation please do so. If you think I am off the wall then please let me know.
Just been having a few folks inquiring so thought it would be easier to do a post, just trying to be helpful.
Many thanks
Alex.
Recent Comments
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Alex - This is a great reminder about how careful we need to be when it comes to using others copyrighted material. The inspect element on an image is a nice tip and something I can use going forward. Thanks for sharing this.
Hi, Patrick, it can be useful to do that, it is a matter of being aware when it comes to images, once we develop a routine for the selection of images we can be confident that we are taking the necessary steps to protect ourselves.
Thank you for this very helpful information and step by step guidance on how to stay out of "hot water"!
Nicely done!
I will be following your method, for sure!
Cheers,
Susan
Hi Susan, glad that you found some value in this post if we take care and are aware we should be able to enhance our content using images that we can use with a clear conscious.
Thank you for the information, Alex. The conversation below in very informative as well.
Randy
Hi, Randy thank you for stopping by and I am pleased that you found some value in the post.
Hi Tammy, hope that you find some value in the post, it is a good way to filter results fo images that we want to use in our content creation. all the best
It's worth bearing in mind that Creative Commons, nor any free image site come to that, guarantees that their images are copyright free, as no free image site checks that the individual uploading the images is actually the copyright holder in the first place!
https://www.contentfac.com/copyright-infringement-penalties-are-scary/
I am not sure what you are trying to say. You have 'free to use even commercially' at Google Images, so what else one needs?
And at Wikimedia they have clear indication about the image usage. See this example:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aedes_aegypti_biting_human.jpg
This is supposed to be free.
Thank you for sharing Richard, with the advancement of technology there seem to be very predatory legal practices evolving out of and around copyright of images especially.
On the flip side, I did hear recently of a photographer who was hit up by one of the larger agencies legal team and accused of copyright infringement, they had claimed ownership of some of this photographers work, I kid you not, a back down and an out of court settlement in favor of the photographer and swept under that proverbial carpet.
So some of these activities could be described as being vexatious, the key is to be aware and also to take steps to minimise that potential exposure I guess, taking steps to resolve ownership of the images that we use. We could look at it as one of the costs of doing business to a degree.
That article does highlight some of the pitfalls.
The risk is small, but the risk is there, and I believe it's worth pointing that out so that members can make an informed decision.
I'm afraid one of our members has just received a bill for $5000 for an image they got from Pixabay!
In the UK, this often crops up, one argument over an image ended up in the High Court, where Getty were awarded £2,000 damages and over £30,000 in costs.
https://www.out-law.com/page-10367
I can hop over to http://www.vogue.com and right-click a dozen images, and then upload them to Google Images or Wikipedia or Pixabay or... and label them CC0 or free to use.
However, I'm not the copyright holder, so anyone using them can expect Conde Nast's lawyers to be on their case pretty quickly, as they track their images.
This is the issue with all free image sites, they do not verify the identity of the person uploading the images nor whether or not they are the copyright holder and therefore entitled to give away the images for free.
Thank you. I have learned something new.
But you realized that what I described above is just what we learn from WA lessons. I use my own images most of the time, or affiliate images so I have no issues but many may have.
I shall bookmark this for reference.
I agree, and I've argued on many occasions that members should be warned about the risks, however small, of using free image services. I file a couple of DMCAs a month or so against sites that steal my content, in one case a site that had stolen images from me was entirely deindexed.
If members are risk adverse, I recommend they use a stock library that offers indemnity. For example, Stock Unlimited http://www.stockunlimited.com offers unlimited downloads for a month for $9, which should be long enough to stock up on a year-or-two's worth of photos! They also offer a $25,000 per image indemnity against any copyright infringement claims.
There's also Deposit Photos http://www.depositphotos.com who offer a huge range of images for a $1-a-pop. Dreamstime http://www.dreamstime.com have an excellent range as do Adobe http://www.stock.adobe.com albeit both of these are more expensive. All offer substantial indemnity against copyright infringement.
In fact, there is a problem. Such things which you just said here are gold nuggets and it is a pity you do not add them as blogs or trainings.
I would rather see such stuff than about new season of mushrooms in Lithuania (yes, a new blog just appeared by our dear mushroom expert who was a proud WA ambassador) or about elderly ladies compared with old wines, a stuff for consumption (so yes again, this is a blog from yesterday) by yet another former ambassador.
I'm afraid that like a lot of members, I'm no longer willing to blog or create training, only to see it lost to a sea of ageing mushrooms.
There is some risk involved in all aspects of business, there seems to be this ongoing confusion around images, both on the side of folks using images but more so on the legal firms indulging in predatory tactics.
Get the member to pm me, I would be most interested, as will be Pixabay I think they are an authority site in this niche and service provision, if users and members here at WA are being billed then time to take up the challenge, if folks are being billed then Pixabays demise is imminent.
There is one thing being billed and another paying and usually, we can navigate our way through the latter there is precedence in the case of the latter.
You would think?!
Pixabay are the worst, just read their T&Cs;. They do not guarantee that their images are copyright free and you agree to cover their costs as well as your own if an image you get from them breaches another person's copyright.
"You also agree to indemnify and hold harmless Pixabay from and against any and all claims brought by third parties arising out of your use of the Website."
See Triblu's comment here: Is it advisable to use google images? Also, what is really irritating about Pixabay is that they constantly get takedown notices and even DMCAs filed against them for distributing copyright images to which they had no rights, but then they don't inform their users who've already downloaded those pictures that they're breaching someone's copyright.
https://lumendatabase.org/notices/13209655
The risk of not paying is that if the copyright holder's representation does take action, you end up not only being liable for misuse but their legal costs as well, as happened to that removals firm, who were shafted with £30,000 worth of costs.
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Thanks for sharing your procedures..the advanced search will be helpful.
Debbie