Legal Issues for Images

If you are going to establish an empire around the use of images, or if you are going to add images to an article site, there are some things you need to know about using them. Laws change from time to time, I am not a lawyer, and this information does not in any way attempt to replace the advice of a lawyer.

Copyright laws apply! You cannot use images that you do not have a legal right to use. This means you cannot copy them from books, other websites, etc, unless you have legal permission to do so.

If you purchase a clipart or photo collection, read the terms of use. Some allow you to use them however you choose as long as you do not resell them as clipart. Others do not allow you to alter them, some restrict web use, others restrict use as a logo, etc. So know the terms, it could keep you out of trouble.

Then there are people... You cannot use an image with a recognizable face in it unless you have permission to do so. Get it in writing if there is any question. As long as the face is not recognizable though, you can use shots of people.

There are also legal restrictions on specific types of images, including money, nudity, etc.

Those are the biggies with images - there are a few others also, and it wouldn't hurt to do a net search and make sure you are on firm footing if you plan to create an image gallery, or if your site is largely image dependent.

Written by Laura Wheeler
Owner, Firelight Web Studio
http://www.firelightwebstudio.com 
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