Though copyright law may be restrictive, there are still ways for content marketers, bloggers, designers, and others to find the images they need. These include the Fair Use exception, special licenses like Public Domain or “copylefts,” and online image banks.
Fair Use
Fair Use is a copyright doctrine that allows use of a copyrighted work in a few specific cases. Application of fair use is governed using the guidelines below:
- Is the image being used for personal, scholarly, or non-profit means?
- Is the image being transformed to the point where it is no longer recognizable as the original work?
- Is the image being used in context of a parody, or in a publication that requires use of the image to inform and educate the public?
- Does use of the image devalue the original work?
If you are using an image for the reasons above, you may be able to claim fair use. However, it is important to remember that the law is vague on this topic, so you must be very careful about claiming fair use.
Copylefts and Public Domain
Some copyright holders prefer to make their works available to the public. When this is the case, they may either release their work into the public domain, making the image free to use for any purpose, or license the image under the Creative Commons, a “copyleft” that allows for use of an image with certain restrictions.
Free Image Banks
The websites below offer high quality images that are free to use under certain restrictions. Make sure you understand the license that each work is being shared under before you use the image.
Paid Image Banks
If the free image banks do not satisfy your requirements, there are a number of paid image banks for which you can either purchase credits, or pay a monthly subscription fee to receive a certain number of downloads. These can be great options for those who frequently require very specific professional quality photographs.