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