How to Legally Use Images in Online Marketing
Images have become an integral part of the online marketing. You need to put images with your contents to make the article more interesting to the users of your site. You need images to share on your Social Media Pages to keep your followers engaged.
But if you are not a little wary about using stock photos, you may get into the mess of copyright infringement. Your site ratings may go down if you are served with a DMCA Takedown Notice for using a copyrighted image.
So, here we are sharing some tips that can keep you assured that you are using the images for your Social Media Marketing without going the illegal way.Know some basics about the copyright laws –Obviously, I’m not suggesting you go and read the entire law book. But, knowing some basics can save you from the bigger mess. The most basic knowledge may include that no copyright symbol © is necessary for the image to be protected against copyright infringement.
If you use someone else’s photo the excuse of the absence of the symbol won’t work. Each Social Media Site has different terms and conditions regarding the matter so make sure you read them before re-sharing, re-tweeting or re-pinning etc.Understand the license agreement while purchasing a stock photo – If, you are purchasing stock photos make sure you understand the license you are getting for the price.
Paying the demanded dollar for a particular picture does not guarantee you all the rights of using the picture as per your wish. Take, for example, Royalty Free Photos, you may get excited that you are getting the photo without paying for it and no one would claim for a royalty. But, the fact is, you need to pay an amount to buy the royalty free photo only once and then you can use it multiple times.
Ask for the permission of the owner of the photo – When taking a random photo from Google search rather than buying a stock photo you should consider taking permission of the owner. If, you have seen a certain photo on someone else’s social media page don’t go and ask the user straight for the permission.
Chances are the user too is using someone else’s copyrighted image. When the original owner comes to know the infringement you too would be liable for the claim. So make sure you take the permission from the real owner. To trace out the real owner you can simply perform a Reverse Image Search on Google.
The result will tell you when and by whom the picture was uploaded on the web. Use every possible means to keep your online marketing as fair as you can. The web world is very closely knit and nothing can stay hidden from your target audience’s eyes.
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