can i use a copyrighted image for my project?

Question

I'm doing an economics project about a stock (News Corp.). I am doing a poster board and I was thinking of putting a picture of, say, The Simpsons on it. Am I allowed to do that?

Answer 1

if your project is for a school related class, then your idea probably falls under the 'permitted educational use' clause of US copyright laws.

"Permitted" in this context means that it is a limited audience and illustrates the educational content.

However, if your project has a commercial [money-making] purpose, then using someone else's copyrighted image without written permission [and payment] is illegal.

Does this help?

Answer 2

You are not allowed to use a copyrighted image without the copyright holder's permission. However, if it is for a class project and not for display publicly or on the Internet, the law provides for some exceptions. On your poster board, you should place an asterisk next to the picture and at the bottom of your board indicate that it is copyrighted and by whom.

Answer 3

You're not claiming it as your own work, nor are you hotlinking from the image on the internet and stealing their bandwidth so this is in no way illegal. If it was, companies would be peering through elementary school windows, just waiting for kids to make a collage so they can haul them off to court.