Sometimes you may come across an image that you would like to use for your business purpose. Now, you can’t simply take any image we like and start using for commercial purposes. We need to check whether these images are free to be used or are they copyrighted.
Sometimes, there are some obvious tell-tale signs on an image that is copyrighted. It could be a watermark, a copyright symbol, a note that indicates ownership, or an official copyright listing. If the image has any of these marks or symbols, it obviously means that the image is copyrighted. However, you should also look into the official copyright listing to find out for sure (in case there is no obvious mark).
Take the image and quickly do a reverse search on Google by dragging your image or typing in the image url onto the Google Image portal. This would let you see all the places where the image has already been posted and you may even be able to find out who was the primary publisher.
You may think that if you add a small disclaimer or attributing next to your image, you are safe, legally. Unfortunately, that is not so. However, if you are interested in using an image and you are having a tough time determining whether it is free to use, you can reach out to the owner of the image and enquire about it. This is particularly relevant if you did not find the image on a public domain or with creative commons license.
It is not just about ethics, using a copyrighted image can lead you to a legal battle where, should you lose, you may have to pay big time! However, if you created an image, and feel that it needs some work, the photo editor from Appy Pie Design can help you take care of it all! If you do this, you need not worry about copyrights at all!