Do you know all you need to know about copyright infringement?

You are poised to hit publish for a post you’ve written and you think you’ve done your due diligence preparing it to go live on your blog. You have painstakingly edited and meticulously cited sources referenced throughout the article; but what about the images you’ve used, have you given proper citation and attribution for them?

Crediting photographers for their work sounds like a straightforward process, but the truth is when mistakes are made things can get ugly. What are the penalties for such mistakes? First, let’s define copyright infringement.

What is copyright infringement?

Wikipedia says “Copyright infringement is the use of works protected by copyright law without permission, infringing certain exclusive rights granted to the copyright holder, such as the right to reproduce, distribute, display or perform the protected work, or to make derivative works. The copyright holder is typically the work’s creator, or publisher or other business whom copyright has been assigned. Copyright holders routinely invoke legal and technological measures to prevent and penalize copyright infringement.”

Invoke legal and technological measures! Posting photographs and illustrations created by others on blogs without citation or proper attribution can result in removal of the post or much worse, a lawsuit.  Too many bloggers and website owners think that they can use anything they find on the internet, this just isn’t true.

Knowing bloggers are financially liable for publishing copyrighted images even if done accidentally, you need to learn to recognize copyright labels and understand Fair Use guidelines to avoid troublesome penalties.

Are you feeling a bit confused about copyrights? Don’t worry; we’re here to lend a hand. This helpful infographic details how to search for approved images and how to give the proper attribution as well.

Copyright Infringement: Images You Can and Can’t Share on Your Blog

The post Copyright Infringement: What You Can and Can’t Share on Your Website appeared first on Best HDR Photography.