Getting photos or pics off the net?

Question

Hello,
I am constructing a website and need some photos that I can't take myself i.e of medical conditions. What are the rules about copying pics from other websites. Realistically the ones I'll be using will be hard to tell where they orginiated from. However, I need some guidance on this. Particuarly if there are any technical footprints, I should be aware of, that come with the pics that might identifiy it's origin. Thanks.

Answer 1

You best bet is to look at stock image galleries. Just google for stock images and you'll get a lot of results (I used index stock the most).

Next, you need to see individual authors' policies: what are their permission, who can you use them, what do they ask, etc etc.

And last but not least, you need to keep in mind that just because you can see it on the internet it's not yours to take. You can be sued (or at the very least forced to take the image down) if you don't comply.

Also, when listing the image source (compulsory!), don't list things as "got the images from google". That's the same like saying "got the book from the library", instead of saying "this book was written by Mark Twain". So list the exact source, and make sure that the image belongs to that person, before you use it. They might be infringing on copyright laws themselves.

Answer 2

Vera already covered the legals. You really need permission. As for 'technical footprints' this is possible but unlikely. Most likely will be a 'watermark' which adds visible text or symbol to the image, like the camera symbol on ebay photos. It is possible to hide a footprint in the actual image data but this would be destroyed by a subtle image cropping and resizing.

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

List sources.

Thankssss.

Or ask them.

Who cares.