using images and copywrites

[Pavel]

Hello,

i made a site years ago using images provided to me by a friend.

another friend told me about a google images search

just drag and drop an image

most come back without a match

however, some searches return that searched image

i dont know if i had the image first an somebody else foud it and is now using it for themselves

important: if i find a match, can i use it without worry on my site?

how can you tell what is ok to use, and what is not ok to use?

is it a waste of time to even bother?

i hope i am clear!

please keep it as simple as possible

somebody help me out 🙂

 

[OldMan]

Do a google for "websites for free use images". I just did and found some new sites and the sites that I have used for many things.

 

[Antero360]

Do a google for "websites for free use images". I just did and found some new sites and the sites that I have used for many things.

To add to @OldMan's advice, you an search "royalty free image of X", where X is what you are looking for

 

[SGdash1]

If I understand the situation...

You got images from a friend. You don't know if they actually owned those images or had the right to allow you to use them.

You have found some matches to those images with Google Image Search. You are wondering if another site(s) got the images from your site, or if they had them before your friend gave them to you.

important: if i find a match, can i use it without worry on my site?

If you had the images first, that still does not give you the right to use them. The owner of those images has to give that permission.

If you can, check with the friend who gave you the images. There will always be something to worry about until you know you have permission from whoever the owner is.

how can you tell what is ok to use, and what is not ok to use?

Anytime you use images, you should have documentation showing ownership and permission from the owner for you to use them. Typically, this would be in the form of a license that you can keep in your records to be able to show that you have been giving to the rights to use them. Without a license, or you yourself owning the images (you were the photographer/artist), you can't be sure.

I could tell you that, unless you are a big target for a lawsuit, the worst that is likely to happen is that you don't have the proper permission and the owner might send an email telling you to stop using the images.

What I will tell you is that, if you want to be safe and do things the right way, you should find out for sure you can use the images from whoever owns them or stop using them and seek an alternative for the website.