Copyright Infringement

What is the purpose of Copyright Law?

U.S. copyright law is based on the Constitution and aims to reward authors and promote public benefit by granting exclusive property rights. These rights protect works from unauthorized use and apply equally to both published and unpublished creations from the moment of creation, without obligating creators to distribute their work.

What category do images fall under?

Images are under the pictorial category

What copyright categories are you allowed to use for your website?

Literary Works, Artistic Works, and Audiovisual Works

How can you find images that you are allowed to use?Pick a browser and create an ordered list that goes through the steps.

Check for watermarks, copyright symbols (©), or creator credits, use reverse image search (like Google Images or TinEye) to find the source, inspect image metadata for ownership details, and check reputable sites like Wikipedia or Creative Commons for licensing info, always verifying the original source for usage terms.

1.Open your web browser and go to Google Images. 2.Enter your search term into the search bar and press Enter. 3.Click the Tools button located below the search bar on the results page. 4.Click on Usage rights from the menu that appears. 5.Select Creative Commons licenses from the drop-down options. This filters the results to display images with license information that typically allows free use with some conditions, such as giving credit to the creator. 6.Click on an image you like, then look for the License details link below the image in the right panel. 7.Crucially, review the specific license terms on the original hosting website to confirm the accuracy of the license and understand any limitations (e.g., whether modification is allowed, if it can be used for commercial purposes, or if attribution is required).

If you are caught using a copyright image formal cease-and-desist letter.

penalties and/or fees for illegally using a copyrighted image can be crazy: Statutory Damages: For registered works, courts can award between $750 and $30,000 per infringed image. Willful Infringement: If the copyright owner can prove the infringement was intentional or "willful," the court can increase statutory damages up to $150,000 per image. Actual Damages and Profits: The infringer may be required to pay the actual dollar amount of damages and any profits they earned from using the image. video

What do you need to do to copyright protect your images? You need to add a copyright notice (© Year, Name), use watermarks, embed metadata, upload only low-resolution versions, and monitor for unauthorized use.

To find if someone is using your copyrighted images online, use reverse image search tools like Google Images, TinEye, or Yandex, which identify unauthorized copies by matching the image file. Specialized services like Pixsy and monitoring tools (e.g., Copyscape) can automate this process.

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