Copyright Thoughts

When I think go Copyrights and which pictures I can use, and which ones I can’t; it makes me sick. I feel like in this day and age, if its on the Internet, it should be allowed to be shared. The Internet is a place for sharing. That being said, if someone is a photographer, artist, etc. and they use these images to put food on the table, by all means, they should be protected and it’s encouraged that they put their watermark on their pieces. That being said, I personally hate it when someone uses my posters or words that I created and go and promote their own business. It’s happened a few times to me, and it was very frustrating.

So after watching and reading about Copyrights, Fair Use Agreements, and Creative Commons, it’s time to share my knowledge and interpretations. The best way to do this is by l getting some definitions out of the way:

Fair Use:

Creative Commons:

Copyrights:

What it means to me? It means I think I’ll never share another photo again. Honestly, I didn’t even realize Copyrights and such were that big of a deal. Truthfully, I don’t think it should be. I feel like a lot of people are getting their knickers in a twist.

But what is even more frustrating is when you don’t have a picture, and can’t take your own picture? Creative Commons is a wonderful site, but in my experience trying to find the right image is horribly inconvenient, time consuming, and often leads to nothing. It’s truly better to take your own pictures.

So the best rule of thumb? If it’s not your picture, don’t use it, and especially not for your business.