How to Avoid Copyright Claims when Using Photographs in Your Articles
As a webmaster, journalist, blogger, or website content creator, it is important to avoid using copyrighted photographs in your published articles. I previously published an article about using images in articles, entitled Posting Photos and Videos: Permission, Copyright Issues, Infringement, and Liability, saying it was okay to use HD images that you found on the Internet in your articles.
I am updating that advice – do not use random images that you found on the Internet in your article in any way (more on that below). The image SEO and image optimization information I wrote of previously is sound advice, featuring good techniques. When it comes to using copyrighted images without permission, however, the photographer may not come after you today but ten years from now, they may.
There are intellectual law firms where this is all they do i.e. copyright laws and intellectual property litigation. I am telling you this from personal experience. I am debating whether I should write about it or make a video (or video series) about it.
When you find an image in a image search that you really like and see this message underneath it “Images may be subject to copyright”, keep that in mind before you choose to use that image. It’s no joke.
Solutions and Tips for Avoiding Copyright Problems with Photographs
You may be asking yourself – What should I do then if I need a picture (or pictures) for my article? These are the five solutions that assist me in finding article images while avoiding copyrighted photographs:
Official Stills
Use current official movie and TV series stills made publicly available by production companies, distributors, and studios. Many are featured on websites like IMDb. These are public domain images. This are not only okay to use in your articles, their producers want you to use them. These images are free and can be found by using a simple Internet search.
Pro-tip 1: image search the title of the film or TV series plus “IMDb” and the IMDb images for that title will appear in the search, usually at the top of the page.
Pro-tip 2: select “Large” under search criteria in Google Image search to find the HD version of image that you have found that you like.
This and the next method are what I use on my movie and TV show news website FilmBook.
Old Images
Use screenshots or official stills from previously released films or TV shows containing the people or the subject matter of your current article. These may not be for the current production that you are writing about in your article, but they will contain the movie or TV star that your article is about. A single shot with just that person in the frame is as good as a portrait image.
Stock Images
Use stock images in your articles. Although free to use and free of any legal entanglements, stock images usually bear no relevancy to the article that you are writing. Example: you are writing an article about Brad Pitt yet some random stock photo of some no-name guy is the featured image of your article. That wouldn’t work on an entertainment news website. That would work on a information website like ProMovieBlogger.
Notable Stock Image services include: Prexel (free images and videos), Envato, Pixbay, and Freepik.
Licensed Vendor
Use licensed photographs by finding a licensed vendor of celebrity and entertainment news images. Use those images in your articles. These images are not free. You have to pay for a license to use them on your website. You also have to make proper attribution to where you obtained the images from in the description of the image (which displays underneath the image in your article). The benefits are a.) crisp, professional, HD images, and b.) no legal entanglements when using these images, not now or in the future. This occurs because the photographer is getting (has gotten or will get) paid by the vendor for those images.
There are numerous websites that sell licenses to celebrity and entertainment news images. Some of the companies include Getty Images, Wire Image, and Deposit Photos. Entertainment news websites like Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, and Variety all use licensed images from the former two image services in their articles.
Summary
The four methods I have discussed in this article will help you avoid copyright infringement when publishing articles with photographs. The days of using whatever image you find on the Internet in your article are over. They’ve been over. If you chose to use a professional photographers image in your article without paying for it, that photograph will eventually be found (by a computer program looking for illicit users of that photo and non-license holders). Don’t be one of those publishers that are found. Don’t use the cool close-up image of the celebrity in your article (unless you pay for it). Don’t try to learn how to alter an image to avoid copyright, asking of others “how much do you need to alter an image to avoid copyright?” Don’t go down that road. Use a cropped image from the actor’s last film instead. It’s safer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you be sued for using an image off the Internet in your article?
Yes. You can can be sued for using an image off the Internet you don’t have a license for.
Can I purchase a license to use celebrity and entertainment industry photographs?
Yes. Getty Images and Wire Image are the two leading websites where you can do so.
Is there a free source for celebrity and entertainment industry photographs?
Yes. Official stills and screenshots are free to use.
What if I accidentally used a copyrighted image?
Delete the copyrighted image from your website and clear your site cache as quickly as possible.
How can you avoid copyright infringement on photos?
Avoid photographs from photo shoots, magazines, portraits, red carpet events, anything that looks produced outside of a film or TV show.
Where can I get free images without copyright?
Free images can be found in search engines, by taking screenshots, and through stock image services.
Where can I find free stock images?
Free stocks images can be found on Prexel, Pixbay, and Freepik.
