I'll be the first to admit that I'm not "up" on all the latest copyright laws as it regards the use of pictures on my blog. This is why I am grateful to have my daughter, T.K. Wilson B.A. English (Magna Cum Laude) from American Military University. She's got the credentials to discuss this topic in depth.
Don’t Be a Pirate! Reasons To Cite Your Pictures In this digital age, it can be very easy to take pictures and films for granted. Being bombarded by visual media all day, every day, we get used to it, not thinking that there’s a person or company behind that image. The fact of the matter is that a good deal of people don’t pay attention to how well they cite something. And that can lead to BIG trouble. In 1998, a bill called the Copyright Term Extension Act passed Congress. Now, before we go father, I’ll explain copyright law for the rest of us who don’t speak Lawyer. Copyright is simply the protection granted to a person who creates a product (film, picture, character, invention, etc.) for the public consumption. These protections are in place to ensure that the person who created it can never have it taken from them, and thus are guaranteed the revenue from them. After the original person’s death, that protection is granted to their family or estate, whoever they name in their will. In the US, thanks to the 1998 law, that term is the author’s lifetime, plus 95 years. This means that any images you find on the internet, if they were created AFTER the year 1923 are still in copyright. This includes fan-fiction (stories using characters from published or filmed works) and fan-art (images or films using characters from published works). Just because they are available for public consumption does not mean you can just snag them up willy-nilly and use them for whatever. That’s not what that word means. That means you have to give proper CREDIT and CITATION for whatever you use, and above all, you CANNOT sell it. This may all seem very intimidating. After all, companies who publish even things like crochet and knitting patterns have very deep pockets and would think nothing of soaking the little guy. All very true, but much misery and heartache can be avoided if one cites things properly. And it’s not hard, and with tools like Google Image Search, it’s easier than ever. In academic circles, the process can be frustratingly time-consuming. I was English Major, I speak citation as a second language. However, for most casual bloggers, a simple page link or caption giving credit to the owners is all that’s required. Some sources already come under the “fair use” rules, such as stock photography from sites like Pexels, Pixabay, and Unsplash. These photos are copyright free, and free to use for everyone. Solopreneurs moment: Morgan Wood is a Consultant with Thirty-One Gifts. She really believes in the Thirty-One product line! She uses the product line therefore her customers can trust her advice. See her consultant page: https://www.mythirtyone.com/us/en/11119355?fbclid=IwAR3dAM9knGXiBXPg9JhLW1iam16_-bXlKLTC3-4-IVg9yU1v8eLkrBpgLuI Logan Allen-Carley is a Scentsy consultant. Scentsy is a well known, innovative company. Logan is committed to great customer service. If you have a question about the very large Scentsy product line, Logan would be happy to help you. https://loganmaryann.scentsy.us/?fbclid=IwAR04dHJw2YIT1ZjonGYtWlA6Gp92Wo03IEpWQRa8lJEIFzlvSNF5c8yXVfM Full Disclosure: The solopreneurs I've introduced you to are personal friends. However, there is absolutely no quid pro quo. They have NOT offered me inducements to sell product for them or mention them in my blog.
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