I spend a lot of time reading real estate blogs - But I always wonder where those great images come from. Are people just grabbing images off a google image search? Snagging photos or comics from other websites? If you are - they are probably copyrighted images.
If you didn't personally take the photo - you don't have the right to use it.
That's right - if you didn't take it personally. That includes the photo of that new listing. It's an easy to remember rule of thumb. If you start from that premise - there is less of a chance you'll get in trouble. But it doesn't mean you can't use images on the internet. If you find an image you like on the web - you'll need to look for the copyright info attached to that image.
That being said -there are plenty of places you can find free images on the internet. Some sites will require you to pay a membership fee to use their photos. Others will require that you deposit money into an account - and then download photos that use up "points" that equal dollars
Rather than try to "Be The Expert" I always like to point people to an authority on the subject.
- PhotoLaw.net - out of Boston, great Q&A tips for photographers, writers, etc.
- Lenn Harley - her very first Active Rain post way back in 2006 was about - COPYRIGHT! Read her post to find out first hand how she collects royalties from people who have stolen her copyrighted images!
- Larry Lohrman, Photography for Real Estate - Larry wrote an interesting article back in 2007 about who owns the photo of that house you are selling? Do you own it? Your Client? The Builder you took the photos for? Larry's take on the issue is worth a read.
Most STOCK or FREE photos on the web will give you the right to use the photos on your blog, website etc. But if you plan to reprint those images on brochures, tshirts, mugs or the like - a different license and fee is usually required. Here are a few great resources you can if you want images for your blog or website. Read the copyright section of each to determine how you can use the photos:
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All the resource related links in this post are available at the Blue60.com Directory of Resources for Real Estate Professionals. Blue60.com is a human edited diretory of links for real estate agents, loan officers & appraisers. If you're looking for anything related to the business of Real Estate - you'll find it at Blue60.com
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