The Pros and Cons of Using Royalty-Free Images
May 15th, 2012 by Tweet
Royalty-free image use in web design and logo design is a commonplace practice these days. However, royalty-free image does not mean it’s 100% free. It simply means that you pay just once for the graphic or photo then you are free to make use of it for as long as you’d like. To put it succinctly, the terminology ‘royalty’ applies to a payment that is charged but once for the use of someone else’s copyright property, in this case – an image. The fee for a royalty often rely on the number of times the original image is replicated. Royalty-free images caught my fancy as this topic is by far the most searched term on the web for use by web designers, logo designers, and more for a creation of an ebook cover design, website design templates, and other virtual products to date. From what I gathered, you must be careful where you download your image, especially those that use the word ‘Free’ or ‘Royalty-Free’ in their web promotions.
Check Fine Print
A good deal of websites may be upfront and straightforward with regards their policy on the use of images found on their website, while others are not. So be sure to check and read on the fine print so as to avoid any further complications later on. However, strictly royalty-free images are paid for once and can be used for as long as you wish, subject perhaps to few conditions. Prices and conditions for use can vary significantly from one merchant to another.
Image Credits May be Worth it
You may encounter some sites that require image credits or a link back to be placed on the website or logo where it is utilized. In some instances, you may think of this requirement to be annoying or a real inconvenience, make sure to weigh things carefully before committing to pay or download an image with this condition. Apparently, there are cases where it can be a truly reasonable demand where you simply notify the photographer that you will use the image and that you are very grateful that he shared his work with you.
Watch for Hidden Charges
Unfortunately, there are some websites who post their images as ‘Free,’ when in fact they aren’t. In this case, be sure to investigate and check the details on their conditions of use, otherwise, they may all end up to be ‘royalty-free’ images instead. Some websites may even request for your email address, just be sure to opt out of their other marketing offers, lest you do not want your mailbox be inundated with internet marketing affiliate offers and stuff.
Know Legal Ramifications
Whatever web site you decide to visit and finally obtain images from, bear in mind that copyright is a serious matter that can eventually lead to several legal repercussions when not done right. And in most cases, you ought to know exactly where you stand as against the rightful owner of the image you intended to use, especially, in cases where you are going to display the picture on any cover of a digital product you are planning to offer for sale to the general public.
Know Copyright Laws
Just imagine getting a call from a lawyer requesting for a percentage of the revenue you’ve made from your sales, if you have not followed appropriate copyright protocols! This is a worst-case scenario which can be likely averted by simpy adhering to what copyright law demands and through simply reading closely on the fine print of websites offering these digital downloads. For your convenience, visit the website’s term of use and copy the entire text and store it on your harddrive for future reference. They can come handy later on when you needed them.
Conclusion
To end everything on a positive note, if you are looking for an image or graphic to use for your logo design or web development projects; be sure to be patient enough to look around at the right places as it is very much likely that you will find a very good, free, or affordable image for your upcoming projects.
Mark Acsay is an editor of http://www.impactlogos.com.au , one of the top logo designers in Australia, and provides quality and economic logo design services.
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It will be very disappointing when your particular post got viral, and you have to remove the image. sometimes you can find the alternatives, but what if we featured unique photography
nice summary, thx!
Thanks for sharing this didn’t know that we will get a call from a lawyer also for using royalty free images. every thing is danger online now a days.
Fantastic post Mark. you makes me to rethink about that. impressive post. thanks for sharing it with me.
good post.
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