“Wow! That’s a great photo. Where did you get it?” If the answer is: “I cut and pasted it from a website,” you’d better think twice about how you are using it. Photos and images on the internet are protected under copyright law, and the use of digital images can be tracked. In fact, there are companies that specialize in helping visual artists hunt down unauthorized uses of their work.
The good news is that the internet is awash in images that are in the public domain. The term “public domain” refers to creative materials not protected by intellectual property laws. Anyone can use a public domain work without obtaining permission. For example, I found this image of a woman with a camera on Pixabay. To find public domain photos, Wikimedia Commons free media resources is a great place to look.
An even better idea is to generate your own images! Do you have a booth at a community event? Take some photos. Are you having a ceremony to award grants? Take some photos! Did you help the community raise money for that new splash pad? Take some photos. You get the picture. (Ha!)
There are lots of great online resources to help you take better pictures. Here’s one with some great tips on how to make the most of your phone camera to get you started.
The truth is even some not so great images are copyright protected. So the next time you are putting together a newsletter, or updating your Facebook page or website, take a moment to be sure the image you are using is not copyright protected.
