Frequently asked questions – Copyright and images
Can I use images found on the Internet? I have found an image on the Web that would be useful to go on our website. Can we use it?
You should try to locate the author of the image or the owner of the copyright. If you are unable to find out directly you could contact the creator of the Web site.
Where will I find further information on copyright and digital images online?
Try some of these links for starters (open in a new window, close window when finished to return to this page):
Copyright toolkit, a very useful resource particulary for education use: http://copyrighttoolkit.com
Copyright Licensing Agency, everything you need to know about copyright and licences available for education and business use: http://www.cla.co.uk
Technical Advisory Service for Images Advice Paper (TASI): Copyright and Digital Images: http://www.tasi.ac.uk/advice/managing/copyright.html
JISC information on copyright: http://www.jisclegal.ac.uk
JISC information on copyright licences: http://www.jisclegal.ac.uk/pdfs/copylicencelawelearn.pdf
Intellectual Property Office: http://www.ipo.gov.uk
Search for royalty free images: http://wiki.creativecommons.org/CcSearch
We couldn’t trace an image’s owner. Can we use the image before we have obtained permission?
No, try to find an alternative image which is copyright free, or which you can obtain permission to use.
The images we are downloading from the Web are very low quality. Can we improve them?
It is very difficult to improve low quality images. If you are obtaining permission to use images, the creator of the image may offer you a higher quality version.
How do I copy images from a Web site?
On a PC you can copy most still images by pointing and then clicking with the right mouse button. Choose ‘copy image’ to copy the image and paste it straight into a document. You can also choose ‘save image as’, and save the file to your computer hard drive. On a Mac, point and hold the mouse button down for over a second and the option to copy or save will appear (or hold the control key down and click). You may find that some Web images are protected and these functions will not be available.
Is there anywhere on the Web I can find better quality images?
There are several image libraries (commercial and free), which give access to higher quality images. You will often have to register with the website before you gain access.
