How do you feel about using images/pictures that you find online? Do you think it's okay to copy or save them for your own personal (read not for profit) use as long as you give proper credit for them or at least don't claim them to be your own?

I personally don't have a problem using other people's pictures once in a while and feel that if I'm posting my own pics online other people are free to us them as well. I don't try to take credit for what isn't mine.

I'm just curious what the rest of you think.

I feel it is a violation of copyright unless the owner of the copyright gives me expressed permission to use the work.



No.  Making a profit, or not making a profit is irrelevant.  It has nothing to do with copyright law.  Even a school teacher making a copy of Mickey Mouse to encourage her students to do well on homework is a violation.



It is not really about what you 'feel' it is about what the law allows.  Unless you are the holder of the copyright you do not have the right to use the work.



Giving 'credit' is not what copyright is about.  It does not matter if you acknowledge the holder of the copyright, it matters if the holder of the copyright has acknowledged you.



See above.  There are many websites devoted to copyright law.  I am not sure what you are using the online images for, but I suggest you take a little of your time and read the law.  Copyright infringements carry VERY high penalties.  100,000.00 per violation in most cases.

TheRedGoat, what about the "Fair Use" policy?

Besides, Boomer said that "as long as you give proper credit for them or at least don't claim them to be your own?" Which I think is allowed. If not, the entire internet would probablly be shut down.

Personally, I think that the copyright / patent laws have been so mutalated is it disgusting. And that the "Micky Mouse Preservation Act" AKA Copyright Term Extension Act (CTEA) is up for renewal, again in 2003. Wanna bet congress will renew it for another 20 years?

Hopefully [i]Eldred v. Ashcroft[/i] being heard infront of the U.S. Supreme Court on October 9, might reign in some of the BS that has been going on.

I save images all the time for viewing on my own PC and storage in my archives.  I won't upload someone elses personal image, news site images are the exception.  The anti-gun pricks deserve to have their pics exploited.

I think Ebay is known to pull auctions if someone complains the pics are being used without permission.

Oh ya, as for linking a pic I don't consider anything improper about that.  If one wants to see the source all you have to do is look at the properties to see it.

RedGoat, I'm kind of curious, since you used my direct quotes in your reply and did so without my explicit permission, did you commit a copywrite violation?

This is sort of what I'm getting at. People who post their own images in a public domain like the Internet.

If it's on the internet, I consider it fair game.

Of course, if I were to use any image in an "official" capacity, I would cite the source.

This is one of the reasons I [b]never[/b] post family pictures on the web. Some asshole may snag them, photoshop them, then re-post. No with MY family, you won't!

Actually, yes.  You typed the words, you are their creator and you hold the copyright.  You do not have to file any papers to create the copyright.

Posting "in a public domain" does not remove the copyright.  

As for 'fair use' the law does not define a 'fair use.'  This is something that has been debated ad nauseum by brighter folks than yours truly.  Fair use is a term that floats around in regards to copyright, and seems to be based upon the incorrect belief that if you do not make any money from the use, cause no harm to the holder of the copyright and credit the work, then you are fairl using the work.  It is not true, it is a myth.  

Academically speaking, a portion of a work may be used for intellectual purposes with proper credit given (ie. citing a suorce of a quote in text, citing a few lines of a poem, showing a portion of an image, etc.)

Since I am an educator, I have had heard many stories of copyright violations.  Multi-million dollar suits against school districts for copyright violation.

Teachers think that they can right-click on a picture of mickey mouse, paste him into an art program, add a text bubble saying "Mrs. Jones appreciates your hard work!" and call it fair use. (ie. we are poor teachers, we used Mickey in a positive manner, we gave you credit, we did you no harm.)

It is not legal to do that.  

Simple fact, if you did not create the picture, drawing, music, image, video, text then your use is a copyright infringement.  Case closed.

The holder of the copyright can pursue you for that infringement and they will win.

You just have to decide what your chances are for being pursued... [;)]

As for the Internet shutting down, I doubt it.  Coputer technology has always been piracy driven.  If it was not for rule benders and rule breakers, then you probably would not be sitting in front of a desktop machine in the first place.