You may have heard of the saying that “a picture is worth a thousand words.” It’s due to this philosophy that marketers and creative agency professionals make use of images to communicate, create an impact or to simply add life to the content they have created. With a paradigm shift in the field of marketing, companies are investing exuberant amounts in digital marketing strategies. We will, therefore, limit the scope of this discussion to digital marketing platforms.
When it comes to using images for your brand, utilizing images that were created by you is the best way to prevent infringement of someone else’s intellectual property. By virtue of the fact that you have created your own images, they will be considered to be copyrighted as per the intellectual property law. The problem arises when you want to use someone else’s image for your own marketing efforts. You don’t want to end up with a lawsuit for using a copyright image as your own. So, here are a few things you should consider while using other’s copyrighted images.
Always Ask Permission before Using the Image
The best way to go about this is to ask the permission of the owner of the image. In today’s digital age, people may be okay with you using their images as long as you give credit to them. It is common for the owner of the image to require the payment of a fee for the use of their works. While asking for permission, make sure you ask them how they want to be credited. If the copyright owner agrees, then your problem is solved and, at the same time, you have saved yourself from getting into unnecessary legal hassles in the future.
Use Images with Creative Commons Licenses
Creative Commons licenses are public licenses. Creative Commons is a not-for-profit organization that allows the use of creative content legally. It also allows creators to have some control over how their image are used while it is offered freely to everyone for general use. But there are certain images that have certain restrictions to their use. So, after you choose the desired image, make sure you read the licenses carefully.
Purchase the Images
If you see that the owner of the image has not given you permission to use it freely for your marketing efforts, then you should consider purchasing it. Once you purchase the images from a stock images site, you have the legal permission to use it in your campaign. If you’re willing to spend even more money, you can find better quality images from sites like ShutterStock or Getty Images.
Obtain Legal Advice
Matters pertaining to intellectual property law in Edmonton are best understood with the help of those who specialize in the field. You should consider speaking to an intellectual property lawyer or agent at a law firm in Alberta to come up with effective solutions for your problems.