I have a question, I run a website related to a professional football team and have looked into photo services (Getty, A.P.) etc for editorial use and they're extremely expensive on a per-month basis. I was told by someone that I could use a thumbnail of the original picture with a credit underneath it to credit the source. Apparently re-posting the thumbnail is legal, however I wanted to check with someone else to see if they had any experience or knowledge of this issue. Obviously Google posts thumbnails in their "images" area, so I'm assuming that if they can do it there's probably no issue. Then again, they're Google and I'm not Any thoughts?? Ian
I don't have the answers you seek, but I am interested in the answer when you find it. Are you needing to use current photos for news type stories? If not, you might find some stock photography available from the football team itself.
Thanks for your reply, Yes, I was looking for photos for news type stories and columns. You're suggestion is a good one, however the problem is the league is extremely protective of their own content unless you're part of a large media outlet. Needless to say they don't give independent sites access to that type of content, nor permission to use it. Ian
When you visit sites such as Getty, Corbis, etc. the images that are posted and which can be downloaded are "comps" (compositing images). You are allowed to download these images for the purpose of determining suitability however the image will have to be purchased prior to being published in print or electronically.
Exactly. I worked for a news outlet where we had access to A.P. photos for the articles we wrote, so I understand that end of it. However speaking to someone else apparently there's a law in place now that falls under the "fair use" provision that states you can use a thumbnail and credit the source. I see other sites use this material all the time, however I'm more interested in doing it legititmately as we have a pretty good audience. So I'm curious to hear if anyone knows what the real provision is regarding this issue. Ian
I wanted to bump this and get a fresh set of eyes on it. Does anyone have any knowlege surrounding the implications behind it? As I stated earlier I'm assuming if Google can grab thumbnails for the images section, it may answer my question. I'm just curious to find out if anyone else here may know more about this topic. Ian
Ok, you cant use anyone else's images without their permission. Especially commercially. However, you may be able to get the 'right people' to give you images with some kind of credit. Google gets away with it because without google most sites would get almost no traffic.. and their images go to the original sites + bring traffic. I think technically google is breaking copyright laws, however, its like video recorders or tape decks. The law needs to catch up.
I am not really an expert on this subject but I do suggest to consult a lawyer for all the legalities involved.