Image from Google - Copyright (2024)

FAQs

Can you get copyrighted for using images from Google? ›

When you do a Google Search, you can filter your results to find images that offer licenses for reuse. Important: Images might be subject to copyright. Learn how to find content you can reuse below.

You can use Google Images without violating copyright law by using only public domain images or by getting permission from the copyright owner of copyrighted images.

Creative Commons Search

You can check if an image is copyrighted on Google without opening any other sites or services. Open Image Search and click Tools button. Select Usage Rights, and then — Creative Commons licenses.

Submit a Removal Request to Google: If your copyrighted image is appearing on a website without your permission and shows up in Google's search results, you can request its removal using the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) procedure.

You cannot download or use images from Google without seeking permission from the copyright holder, unless your use falls within one of the exceptions or the work is distributed under an open licence such as Creative Commons.

Fair use basically means you're allowed to infringe on someone's copyright and they can't do anything about it. If your use is covered by fair use, you don't have to provide attribution anyway (although it would be nice). WHY ARE YOU USING THE IMAGE?

Photos in the Public Domain

Photos that are in the public domain are not protected by copyright, have no limitations on use, and no fees for any type of usage. Images in the public domain include most photographs that are more than 100 years old, and any photo produced by a government or government agency.

Look for a watermark

A watermark on an image is a clear sign that the image is copyrighted. Often, the watermark will contain text that indicates the name or company to whom the image belongs: do some googling and find out.

Images are subject to the laws of copyright and intellectual property. Before using a copyrighted image, you must determine if you can claim that your use falls under the Fair Use guidelines, explained below. If it does not, you will need to pay to use the image or find a different image that is copyright-free.

Copyright protection gives the owner the right to determine who copies, distributes or adapts the images for further use. The only way to legally use a copyrighted image is to obtain a license or an assignment from the copyright owner. “It's online, so it's free, right?” In a word – NO.

Does Google remove illegal images? ›

We'll review the material and consider blocking, limiting, or removing access to it. Behaviors like phishing, violence, or explicit content may also violate our product policies and qualify for removal from Google products.

Images in the public domain are completely free from copyright, so they are free to use. Photos whose copyright expired or never existed are part of the public domain.

There's technically no such thing as a copyright free image. The term “copyright free image” usually means that the creator will allow you to use the image without paying for it, but requires attribution (a reference link back to the image's original URL).

It is not legal to copy any material from any website, book, newspaper, e-book, journal, or other document. You may only copy content from another source when you have the author's permission.