Copyright vs. Creative Commons

 I have been following a recent discussion on MAP's Non-profit tech talk email group and thought it would share with you whats been going on.

A few local non-profits have received letters from people representing photos that were used on websites demanding payment for use of the image, and it's not a scam. I would wager that many in the education or non-profit field simply Google an image they are looking for and just and simply cut and paste into worksheets, presentations and websites simply believing that they are protected by fair use.  Sometimes they are right and sometimes they are wrong. When they are wrong it can cost $$$$$. 

If  you are of the Google search and save group, I recommend actually going to where the image is listed and see if it is really availble for use under creative commons license or up for fair use. If not, often times just asking and giving credit will go a long way.

A couple of places recommend to get photos at by part of the group are the New York Public Library, which recently put online hundreds of thousands of items for public use (thanks Josh!), and Creative Commons (thanks Cary!).

If you have any more suggestions for places to get free photos please comment below.