Following copyright guidelines for images
Images that you upload are integral to the appearance and message of your OpenLab presence. From your My OpenLab profile to your Course, Project, or Club and their sites, images play a very important role. Hence, it’s important to use these images ethically and legally. Here are some ways to find images that are meant to be shared.
1. Use images that you take for yourself. For example, if you’re looking for an image of a birthday cake, and you’ve recently made a birthday cake, use that image. Not only is that image legally yours, it also adds a personal touch to your site.
2. Try to find images that are in the public domain, which are free of copyright. In the U.S., images created before 1923 are automatically in the public domain. The Digital Public Library of America is one great place to look for public domain and Creative Commons images. The Wikipedia Public Domain Image Resources page also lists many good resources for finding public domain images.
3. Use open license images, such as those licensed through Creative Commons. Creative Commons licenses allow artists and photographers to choose levels of image-sharing that offer more options than “all rights reserved,” and in most cases you may use these as long as you credit the original owner or creator of the image.
For more information about Creative Commons visit their website.
Places to Find Public Domain and Open License Images
- Flickr
- Creative Commons Search Portal
- Wikimedia Commons
- Wikipedia Public Domain Image Resources
- Digital Public Library of America
