Copyright Infringement Will Cost You BIG Dollars
You've written a great blog post about an annual community event. You just need to add a photo. Most people naturally go online to find a photo that best represents their post topic. They do a Google image search to find a photo. Or, perhaps they go to the event's website or the Chamber of Commerce and "lift" a photo from their website. Be careful! Even unintentional copyright infringement will cost you BIG dollars!
According to Google, here's a few things you need to know before you add graphics and photos to your work:
- Royalty-free means that once a license fee is paid, the images may be used many times without paying additional fees, but the initial license is necessary to protect yourself and your clients.
- Stock photography is the supply of photographs, which are often licensed for specific uses. It is used to fulfill the needs of creative assignments instead of hiring a photographer, often for a lower cost. Today, stock images can be presented in searchable online databases. They can be purchased and delivered online.
- Is it illegal to take pictures of someone without their permission? You can photograph people in public places without consent. There are exceptions, though. If subjects have a reasonable expectation of privacy, don't photograph them. For example, don't photograph someone in a restroom or locker room.
On Clickandcopyright.com, they have a well-written page that fully explains copyright infringement; what it is, exceptions and how to avoid copyright infringement of your own work. A few minutes of reading up and becoming more aware of the law will save you big dollars.
If you need more information, Copyright.gov provides a long list of frequently asked questions.
One more thing...Copyright infringement is different from plagiarism. - According to Google, plagiarism is the act of taking another person's writing, conversation, song, or even idea and passing it off as your own. Plagiarism.org (Yes, there's really such a site.) posted a great article entitled, "What is Plagiarism?" that fully explains plagiarism. Their site also has tons of other resources and information.
Copyright laws protect us all. Familiarize yourself so you can protect yourself.
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