Today’s question from Misha is one I am asked all the time.
The answer is, “No, you cannot legally use ANY image you find online (without more information).”
Individuals and businesses pay to use specific images, and may have a licence to use a certain image on one site.
If someone then “uses” that same image for any reason online, they can be sued for copyright infringement etc.
Fines can be from hundreds to thousands of dollars.
The best way to avoid being sued or fined is to find images which are:
- copyright-free
- license-free, and
- royalty-free.
Luckily there are websites online which have images covering these 3 essential rules:
- http://pixabay.com
- http://pexels.com
- and quite a few others.
Make sure you read the License for each image on these websites before downloading – for example some images might be copyright-free, but not royalty-free.
It is up to the individual (you) to:
- read the rules for each individual image before downloading, and
- follow the rules to avoid being fined.
Following these steps will help you find the right image/s for your YouTube Channel, without fear of being sued.
Have fun!
Want to reach out? Here are a bunch of ways to do that.
- phone mw within Australia on 0408-801-808
- phone from outside Australia (international code like 011) 61-408-801-808
- on YouTube
- on Facebook
- on my website.
Ciao ciao for now,
Teena Hughes