Research Guides: Copyright Guide: Images &amp; Copyright

Images and Copyright

Images created today automatically have copyright protection. You cannot assume you have permission to use images that have been posted on the Internet, even for educational or non-commercial purposes.

When using images, you need to ask the same questions you would for any other copyrighted work:

Does the image have copyright protection or is it in the public domain?
- See Determining Copyright Status and Public Domain
If it is protected by copyright, do I have permission to use the image?
- See How to Request Permission
Is it fair use to use the image for my purposes?
- See Fair Use

Licensed Images

Owners of copyrighted images sometimes give permission to use these images through licenses.

Listed below are some databases with licensed images. Remember that many of these are for educational use only; be sure to read the terms of use for each database!

Associated Press Images Collection (EBSCO)
(1826 to present) The Associated Press Images Collection™ is a primary source database from the Associated Press (AP), one of the oldest and largest news organizations in the world. Over 12 million photographs from the Associated Press, the largest news organization in the world. Also includes diagrams, charts, maps, and timelines as well as audio clips (1920s to present) and news briefs (1997 to present). Updated daily.
Photographs and graphics from AP Images cannot be sold, syndicated, loaned or used for advertising or for trade without the written consent of AP. In addition, users cannot republish any of the photographs on a Web page.
Artstor/JSTOR Digital Library
The Artstor Digital Library is a database of high quality images for use in the humanities.
Images are also accessible through the JSTOR platform. Spring 2024 this database will relocate to the "J" page and accessible through JSTOR.

CC Search
A portal for searching sites that contain images with Creative Commons (CC) licenses. Search engines include Flickr, Fotopedia, Google Images, and Open Clip Art Library; not all images in these search engines have CC licenses, but the default search in this portal is for licensed images. The site states, "Do not assume that the results displayed in this search portal are under a CC license. You should always verify that the work is actually under a CC license by following the link...If you are in doubt you should contact the copyright holder directly, or try to contact the site where you found the content."

Public Domain Images

Images without copyright protection are in the public domain, ususally because the copyright has expired or the image was created by the U.S. government.

Listed below are some databases with public domain images. Not all of the images in these databases are in the public domain; be sure to read the copyright information and terms of use for each database!

FDR Library: Digitized Historical Photographs
From the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, this site contains digitized photographs in three collections: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, The Great Depression and New Deal, and World War II. According to this site, "Unless copyright information is stated in the image caption, all of the digitized material available online from the FDR Library Archives belongs in the public domain." See the Citation and Copyright page for more information.
New York Public Library Digital Gallery
Search for or browse through over 800,000 images from the New York Public Library's collection. According to the site, "[s]ome of the images in the Digital Gallery may be subject to third party rights such as copyright and/or rights of privacy/publicity." For more information, see the Library's Terms and Conditions.
Old Book Illustrations
Contains illustrations from books in the public domain, which can be browsed by subject or searched by keyword. See the site's Terms of Use for information about copyright and use.
Public Domain Image: Royalty-Free Stock Photo Directory
High resolution, royalty-free public domain images; a credit and link back to the site is requested. See the Frequently Asked Questions for more information.
PublicDomainPictures.net
Repository for over 23,500 public domain photos. According to the site, "[a]ll pictures are free for commercial and personal use," but "[i]f you are intend to use an image you find here for commercial use, please be aware that no model or property release was obtained and pictures featuring products should be used with care."
United States Library of Congress Print & Photographs Online Catalog (PPOC)
Contains catalog records for and digital reproductions of images held by the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.
NOTE: Many of the images found on this site are NOT copyright free. For information about which images do not have copyright restrictions, see the site's Copyright and Other Restrictions that Apply to Publication/Distribution of Images: Assessing the Risk of Using a P&P Image and Rights and Restrictions Information pages.
U.S. History Images
Collections of images related to United States history, organized chronologically and by subject. According to the site's author, "[t]he images are free for you to use any way you want with just a couple of exceptions." For information about those exceptions, see the site's Terms of Use.
WPClipart
Clipart designed for use with word processors. See the Legal page for terms of use and other restrictions.

Meet with a Librarian (Copyright)

Meet with a research librarian to discuss a copyright question.

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CC Search:

A portal for searching sites that contain images with Creative Commons (CC) licenses.

Disclaimer

This site is intended for informational purposes only. Library staff members cannot give legal advice. For legal advice, you should contact an intellectual property attorney.