Hey everyone, I recently started up a site for top 10s, and also some other assorted posts. One of the more popular ones are the "Gallery" posts of girls/celebs/models which people like. What I do is just pick a bunch from google images and put them together. Here's an example: http://www.hitting10.com/marisa-miller-gallery/ My question is, is this infringing copyright in some way? Can I get into trouble for doing this and if so, what are some ways around it and how do I solve any potential future problems, I really want to keep this up because it's getting good traffic and proved to be successful. Any help is much appreciated! Thanks!
If you decide to use google images you have to link the picture to the location where you got it. This means every picture should be clickable. It's only fair. However if you don't want to make the image clickable then you should place the link to the source at the bottom of the posting. People can get upset with you when you use their pictures without their permission. Be sure to also include a way people can contact you if they want their pictures removed. It's always nice to give them the option and people seem to respect a website much more when they provide that option. Good luck with your website.
is it illegal? most likely. are you going to get punished? very unlikely. unles you start making serious $$$ out of your site nobody will care
Yeah, the copyright holders have the ability to come after you and shut you down. If you're making money, they could come after you and sue you for damages. Is that likely? Your such a small fish with small traffic right now that it is unlikely. But could it happen? Yes.
Hmm, looks like this sticky needs to be more catchy: http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=736668
Wrong forum and yes, it is against copyright law. Linking back does not magically grant you usage rights, although many authors and photographers will settle for that.