Dog Community

internet and copyright question

Posted : 3/8/2006 10:07:55 AM

When you do a google search for images, are those images that anyone can take and use? For example, could I do a search and use something I find to make an e-card for someone, or use in my signature on this board? I would imagine you can't go to an artist's website and steal images of their paintings or whatever, but I'm sure people do that. What's the criteria on the internet for what you can and cannot take for your own usage?

magilacudy

Posted : 3/8/2006 10:12:51 AM

Usually if people don't want you to take something they put a block on it so you can't copy the picture.

Mic

Posted : 3/8/2006 10:22:39 AM

If you don't try and profit it from it, or claim you designed it you won't have any problems.

Kathryn A

Posted : 3/8/2006 6:17:19 PM

Unless it is uncopyrighted clipart, or from a site that says for public use they are all copyrighted, or should be treated as such.

If you want to use something the best thing to do would be to contact the site you found it on and ask.

minimom

Posted : 3/9/2006 10:00:59 AM

I agree with katt. Even if someone doesn't officially copywrite their photos/clipart, I think the honest and ethical thing to do is to ask before using it. I would probably be flattered if someone wrote and asked if they could use something they found on my website, but I would be hopping mad if they took it without asking.

Not only that, but the website you find something on might have pilfered that image from a copywrited site. And as we've found out in the past, the doggy world is a small one - more than one person I know has stumbled across photos of their dogs being used without their permission.