AdSense - How do you handle Copyrights?

Hi,

I wanted to ask how do you handle copyrighted material on your website? Lets say you want to write an article about LONDON and in the article you use pictures. Is it possible that Google closes your account accusing you that you dont have the copyright for the pictures that you use in your website? I mean what if you use a simple picture of the Buckingham palace? There is no way that you think that you are violating copyrighted material. What if you want to write about a place when you havent been at that place?

Or lets say you write an article about the history of the NBA ( National Basketball Association ). Are you screwed up if you have pictures of the Madison Square Garden in a webpage? Or a picture of Michael Jordan? Or what about if you have pictures of the logos from the teams?

I mean from what i think i must be VERY careful about copyright because writing an article makes you use material that you dont have in mind that you will brake the law? But how do you write then articles? Cant i use pictures describing my articles? Or what if i want to write an article about Athens, Greece ( thats where i am from ) and i shoot some pictures.. how do i prove to Google that i have the copyrights of the pictures because i shooted them?

Thanks in advance

George

 

I don't think they can do any harm, if you display a picture... but if you directly hotlink it or steal content. and if they get solid proof. then they will disable your account.

Better be on the safer side, by giving proper credits to the author

 

AdSense is the least of your problems. Using other people's copyrighted material without permission is not a moral question -- it is a legal question.

Your agreement with your ISP or web host will include a statement that you cannot violate other people's copyright. The people you are stealing from will contact your ISP or web hosting company at the same time they contact you about the copyright infringement and demand that the offending material be removed from your site. Your ISP or web hosting company may immediately close your account.

Google is not in a position to police the content on your site or know whther or not you have the authority to publish any of the words and/or graphics on the site. Therefore, they cannot presume that because a picture or some text appears elsewhere on the internet -- that you have not obtained the rights to display the content.

 

Can you give me an real example of how a website is handling this with pictures? I mean what i will do is if i want to write an article i will search the web for a picture that looks good with the article. Maybe i will browse the web and then i will land on the website of CNN or BBC NEWS. Can i just right click there on a picture save it on my harddisk and then upload it to my website (hosting the copied picture on my hosting server) and the use that picture that is originally from CNNs website? That would mean i have an article about SOMETHING with pictures in it that where hosted once on a different server?

What if i want to write an article about the history of the Microprocessor and then i visit lets say ZDNET or the website of PC MAGAZINE and copy there an image of the new Intel Core DUO? And use that copied picture to upload it to my server and write an article about it? I can t go to a shop everytime i want to write about something. Its not possible.

Thanks

George

 

Then its OK...

 

Infact, Sometimes I copy images from Google Images and upload it to my own website... it OK with images

But don't do it with content, i mean text

 

But that would mean that it is impossible to write an article about a topic if you want to use a simple picture. You will not have in mind that you are breaking the law. I know that i cant write articles about hacking, warez and that stuff but suppose you want to write an article about Greece and as i see you are from Canada? You want to write an article about Greece and you visit the website of BBC which has a nice picture of the Acropolis, Can you download this picture and use it in your article? Or even use it with some kind of statement? I have seen many articles with pictures and under the picture i read "Photo courtesy of XXXXXX". Does that mean that i have to contact every company for only using a picture? Does that mean i have to contact INTEL or AMD if i want to write an article about the microprocessor using pictures of these microprocessors?

That would mean if i have a website with 100 articles i have to contact every person and every company. I must have my own public relations department for that.

Thanks

George

 

Don't worry gmantakis.

AdSense won't harm you if you just use Images from other source. Every blogger does the same thing... that includes you and me

 

Let me just clear something up. It's definitely not ok to got to CNet, CNN, PC Mag (or any other site) and copy an image from them to use on your own site. Nor is it ok to make use of images found in Google image search, unless that image is specifically provided for free use and is in the public domain.
Unless otherwise stated you should view all images as copyrighted works.

Some large websites employ photographers of their own, that includes photographers that specifically take shots of products. Taking those images and using it on your site would be a breach in the image copyright.

The only way to legitamitely use an image is to get permission from the specific owner/creator of that image.

That being said, most manufaturers of products have a Press section on their sites that provide media bundles to the press/publishers/website owners which you are allowed to use. (Be sure to check the Terms of Use).

 

Adsense might not harm you, but the copyright holder / original site, most likely will. That may include getting your site removed by your host or even getting you banned from Adsense.

 

Now i am tottaly confused.

Everyone is right from his point of view and i think its a very gray area. I think i will just arite articles without using ANY pictures on my site. I will draw them instead. Yeah i will draw a picture of a microprocessor. Or i will draw a picture of the New York Knicks Logo. Totally confused.

Thankfully and Confused

George

 

Yes... its only if you steal the content... but i don't think Adsense will take that measures if your simple place a image.

Even #1 blogger, uses images from some other source.

 

BTW Crusader, I signed up with Casale CPM with your referral

 

Don't copy the logo.

 

You don't have to go to such an extreme. Let's take your processor example. Go take a look at Intel Media Kits. I'm sure you will find everything you need there.

 

Images are still content. So by copying the image you are "stealing" content. If the #1 Blogger does it, it doesn't mean that it's legal. That blogger might even have agreements with the various sites they get the images from.

If you mean the Casale logo/banner its provided for use by them. The image is hosted on their site and they allow you to use it.

 

What is the Casale logo? I searched for it on Google and it is an Italian Hotel? I was on the website of Intel and i saw the Media Kit that Intel provides for the press. I havent found there any TOS or am i blind? Because the Media Kit says the pictures are for the press, but are they also for an individuals who writes an article about the history of microprocessors?

Thanks

George

 

I mean't.. I used your referral link (found in the sidebar) to signup

 

Casale is an advertising network. They serve CPM ads, but that has nothing really to do with the thread.

If you are a website publisher you are viewed as "press", so you are allowed to make use of the press resources they provide. If you want to make doubly sure you can also e-mail their PR contact and explain the situation. From my point of view you won't be breaking any copyright or terms of use if you use the images they provide there.

 

In that case, even Google is breaking copyright because the index those images..

BTW we don't have to worry much about it because not all images have copyright