| OK, hands up those of us who have not at | | | | it that you've purchased. Generally, |
| any one time in your career as a Web | | | | unless it is stipulated beforehand, you |
| Master or designer not used the odd | | | | are purchasing the rights to use the |
| pinched photo or image ripped off from | | | | image once. That is, if you buy the |
| someone else's website. | | | | image and use it on your website, it is |
| Well if we are all honest then probably | | | | understood that you cannot take the same |
| all of us at any one time have possibly | | | | image and print it in a brochure or on a |
| used an image that was either | | | | t-shirt. You have not purchased the |
| incorrectly procured or not paid for at | | | | image outright to do with it as you |
| all. Now there are two ways of looking | | | | will, you have only purchased the rights |
| at this. Firstly theft is theft and | | | | to use it in the manner specified in the |
| there is no denying this and its all | | | | contract. |
| very well to talk about "ah well they're | | | | Purchasing stock images online can make |
| large companies and they would not miss | | | | this a bit of a touchy situation, as |
| it" but that is escaping the point. The | | | | people have a tendency to ignore Terms |
| company might well not miss the cash | | | | of Use contracts when they digitally |
| flow (and this in the light of recent | | | | sign something. Purchasing a stock photo |
| events with companies clamping down on | | | | online, however, is no different than |
| harder and harder on copyright theft is | | | | doing so from a brick and mortar stock |
| doubtful) but the individual | | | | photo company. The contract is just as |
| photographer will. | | | | binding as if you had signed it with a |
| So this last point is worth remembering. | | | | ball point pen. |
| How would you feel if you were a | | | | A photographer owns the copyright for |
| photographer and you earned your living | | | | his or her photograph, unless it was a |
| by taking photographs and selling the | | | | "work for hire," in which case, the |
| rights of the images to customers but | | | | person or company who commissioned the |
| everybody kept using your services for | | | | photo or the stock agency would own the |
| free and nobody showed any intention of | | | | copyrights to the photograph. This also |
| paying? | | | | depends upon the contract between the |
| I think we all know the answer to that | | | | photographer and the contractor. Unless |
| question? The thing is, why run the risk | | | | you have purchased all rights to the |
| of having the likes of Getty images come | | | | photograph, your usage of it will be |
| around and threatened to sue you because | | | | limited. The full rights will generally |
| you've ripped off one of their images | | | | cost considerably more than limited |
| when there are more than enough | | | | rights. |
| reasonably priced photo libraries | | | | Once you have purchased the perfect |
| around. The real kicker is that you | | | | stock photo, however, you are free to |
| don't have to spend a fortune if you | | | | use it as you like. Sometimes there are |
| know where to look. | | | | limitations to how it can be used, but |
| When you buy a stock photo image, you | | | | generally you may manipulate the photo |
| are essentially purchasing the rights to | | | | as you need to in order to get the |
| use the photograph. The limits to this | | | | desired image. |
| license depend on the type of rights to | | | | |