Adapted from Larry Nylund’s Photo Guidelines for Blogs, The Journal News, Westchester, NY

For all of our publications (print and electronic) our rules are the same: We must own the copyright or have permission from the owner of the work to publish the image.

Examples:

AP photographs: As paying members of The Associated Press, we have the right to publish AP photographs. So, an AP photograph from today’s game can be used. So can an AP file photograph from our Digicol archives. However, photographs in AP’s archives must be purchased before being used.

Public documents and photographs: Images released by government agencies are fair game. For example, satellite photos of hurricanes released by NOAA can be used without permission. (Permission is assumed with public documents.)

Google images: The fine print on each and every one of these images says “subject to copyright.” What you are looking at when you do a Google Images search is a collection of images taken from other Web sites. For example, I searched the word “Yankees” and came up with photographs from the Daily News. The basic rule here is that if you don’t own it don’t use it.

Getty, Corbis and other agencies: We don’t subscribe to these services and we have no right to use the images.

Publicity photos: Let’s say you are writing a parenting blog about the latest hot teen movie and you need a movie still. Check Digicol to see if the AP has moved the photo you want. Or go to the studio’s web site and download a photograph from the press center.

If there is an image that you want readers to see, but you can’t publish it, then provide a link and send readers to the photo. The Web gives us a fast and simple solution. Use it.

Finally, there is a law called “Fair Use” that gives newsrooms some flexibility in these matters. The law does NOT allow us to circumvent the copyright however. “Fair use” must be determined on a case-by-case basis. If you have questions, please talk to your editor.

Also:

Always include a credit. Doing so helps our credibility by telling readers who created or owns the work. In many cases, especially when dealing with freelancers and agencies, we are obligated by contract to include the credit. And in general, you want to include credits because it is the right
thing to do. (If it were your work, wouldn’t you want a credit to appear next to your work?) Also, don’t be fooled into thinking that providing a credit gives you the right to use another person’s work without permission. It does not.