CCSF Library: Visual Media Design: Copyright

What Is Copyright?

Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U.S.Code) to the authors of “original works of authorship,” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works.

from US Copyright Office "Copyright Basics"

Copyright Basics

Copyright & Fair Use
Nearly everything you need to know about fair use, permissions, the public domain, and copyright law, courtesy of the folks at Stanford University Libraries.
Copyright: Tools & Resources
Expert advice from the Graphic Artists Guild, a professional organization for graphic designers and other artists.
Copyright: What You Need to Know
A great research guide from the Library at Rhode Island College, covering everything from Fair Use to precedent-setting court cases.
Copyright Crash Course
From the Library at the University of Texas
What Does Copyright Protect?
From the United States Copyright Office
How long does copyright last?
Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the U.S. - from Cornell University.
When Works Pass Into the Public Domain (Wheaton College Copyright Guide)
A comprehensive review (though not legal advice!) of copyright laws and issues, including a great chart on when works pass into the Public Domain.
Copyright Fair Use and How It Works for Online Images
From a commercial site with pop-up ads, but the information is sound.
An Introduction to Copyright Law
Straightforward and concise basics from the Graphic Artists Guild.
Copy or Borrow from Other Artists - How Far Can You Go?
From ArtBusiness.com - a site with practical advice for artists.
Intellectual Property and the Arts
From the College Art Association.

Copyright-Free Images

Even if you can use images for free, most images require that you credit the copyright holder or the website where you got the image from. Here are some sites to get you started:

Creative Commons Search
Search for images that assign a Creative Commons license.
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"Creative Commons is a global nonprofit organization that enables sharing and reuse of creativity and knowledge through the provision of free legal tools."
Unsplash
Copyright-free, high-resolution photographs.
National Park Service Multimedia Search
Thousands of photos that are in the Public Domain.
Morgue File
Free stock photos "by creatives for creatives."
Finding and Using Images from the Web
A list of sites with free images - describes what the sites are and what kinds of restrictions to watch out for.
Are Clip Art Images Copyrighted?
How to figure out if "clip art" is really free.
Open Content from the Getty Museum
The Getty makes available, without charge, more than 100,000 digital images to which the Getty holds the rights or that are in the public domain to be used for any purpose. No permission is required. Make sure it says "Open Content" and always credit the source.
Image Sources and Rights Clearance Agencies - from the College Art Association
A list of sources that provide images for a wide range of uses, including academic and scholarly use, with a focus on images suitable for publication. Look for the words "public domain" in the description to find images with unrestricted use.
Pixabay
1.5 million photos and videos under Creative Commons License. You must sign up for a free account and click through screens asking for donations.

Fair Use

Check out this 10 minute video that covers copyright basics and Fair Use - made entirely with Disney clips!