How to Avoid Image Copyright Infringement

With the development of mobile Internet, it is inevitable to share some pictures in website construction, circle of friends or space. But with it comes more and more copyright disputes.

Especially in the case of image infringement, sky-high compensation claims are common.

my country's Copyright Law provides copyright protection for pictorial works. Whether the copyright owner is seeking to protect his rights against infringement or the infringer is sued for infringement in various ways, it will cause varying degrees of loss or negative impact on individuals and businesses, such as money and reputation.

However, as an enterprise, whether it is a designer or an ordinary employee, it is inevitable to be exposed to the use of pictures at work. How can we avoid infringement?

1. Internet pictures cannot be used at will

When using online images, be sure to check whether there is a standard copyright ownership. Images downloaded from major search engine networks or free websites are very likely to have hidden copyright disputes due to their wide range of sources.

2. Unauthorized modification or retouching of images is also an infringement

The Copyright Law stipulates that copyright is divided into moral rights and property rights. The property rights include the right of reproduction, the right of adaptation, the right of distribution, etc. The use of pictures without the authorization of the original creator shall not be modified or used at will. If the original work can be identified, it is still an infringement.

3. For commercial use, you must contact the copyright owner to obtain authorization for images with clear copyright ownership; for non-profit use, you must indicate the source and original author of the image.

Article 22 of the Copyright Law stipulates 12 situations in which the copyright owner's permission may not be obtained and remuneration may not be paid, but the author's name and the title of the work must be indicated. Other situations within a reasonable range, even if they are for "non-profit purposes", also constitute infringement.

4. You must be careful when using purchased images, because paid images can be used for personal or commercial purposes. If an individual purchases images for business use, it may also result in infringement.

5. For original pictures, if you have high requirements for picture quality, it is recommended to seek help from designers, illustrators, and photographers to clarify the terms and sign an agreement to avoid copyright disputes in the future. For picture quality requirements, you can generally use professional software such as PS to design original pictures without any infringement issues.

The misuse of pictures when building a website may also infringe copyright! At this time, you must distinguish the source of the pictures, otherwise you will be forced to sit in the dock for infringing on other people's copyrights.

In order to avoid copyright infringement, it is important to ensure that you have the right to use images when adding them to your site. If you entrust your product to a specialized web production company or design company, the Copyright Law does not exempt you from liability because the images are provided by the other party. Regarding self-service website building, try to use your own original works or works of others that have expired copyright protection, or mobilize them to provide self-created free text, pictures, works or videos, and use other people's copyrighted works after authorization. This is a safe way to avoid infringement, thereby helping you protect your website and content from copyright complaints.