Copyright Rules to Know When Selecting Images for Your Posts
Photo by NordWood Themes on Unsplash
A picture is worth a thousand words. And every journalist and blogger knows that images boost engagement, break up blocks of text, catch a reader’s eye and even improve SEO. But when you’re a writer – not a photographer – how do you find the right pictures for your content without running afoul of copyright limitations and usage rights?
The good news is there are plenty of totally free, no-strings-attached resources for beautifying your post. You just have to know what you’re looking for.
There are a few important rules to know when it comes to using images you didn’t take yourself.
Rule #1: Just because you found it doesn’t mean you can use it
If you use a copyrighted image on your site, you are financially liable for it. You might receive a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) take-down notice or even be sued for damages. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve given the artist credit or even linked back to the source: If you don’t own the rights to it, using it can get you into trouble.
What about fair use?
“Fair Use” is a legal concept that protects certain uses of copyrighted materials, such as for education and criticism, especially in a not-for-profit setting. Fair use becomes a lot harder to defend in any commercial setting. With copyright-free images available at your fingertips, there’s just no need to take a risk in hopes that fair-use doctrine will protect you instead.
Rule #2: Understand the basics of copyright and licensing
By definition, anything a person creates is automatically copyrighted by that person as soon as it’s been created, whether or not they file for an official copyright license. This means that every photo and illustration online belongs to somebody unless those rights have been offered up.
When you’re looking for free images, know the basics:
Public Domain
An image in the public domain has a copyright that’s either expired or never existed, usually due to age. But bear in mind that reproductions can themselves be copyrighted. So even if a painting is in the public domain, someone’s photograph of that painting might not be. Additionally, if a photo in the public domain shows an identifiable person, you might need his or her permission to use the image.
The 95-Year Rule for published works means that any creative work published or registered in the U.S. in 1930 or earlier (as of Jan. 1, 2026) is now in the public domain. On Jan. 1 of every year, a new batch of “graduates” enters the public domain. There are always subtleties and exceptions, so check out this public domain overview for help.
Royalty-Free
Royalty-free images are those that you can use without paying royalties back to the creator. In general, this works because the artist has been paid a licensing fee by the user. If you find a site offering royalty-free images for free, it’s likely the site owner has already paid these fees.
Creative Commons
This special type of license allows photographers to license their images for public use. But there are some caveats about their usage. For example, CC0 means there are no rights reserved, and you can use them freely without giving credit. CC by 4.0 licenses allow you to use the work for free, but you must provide attribution back to the original artist. Be careful to read the specific terms of any Creative Commons image to ensure you’re following the rules.
Editorial Use Only
Many free sites host images with recognizable faces or brands. In many cases, “Free to use” doesn’t mean “Free to use in an advertisement.” If there’s a Nike logo or a person’s face, you may still need a model/property release for commercial posts. Of course, journalists will generally be using images for editorial purposes, but this is still a good rule to know and follow.
Social Media Embedding
Recent U.S. rulings suggest that embedding without the creator’s consent can violate copyright if the content isn’t in the public domain. Best practice is to ask for permission or use public, non-copyrighted material. And review the platform’s specific terms, as they can change. If you do opt to embed, use the platform’s provided HTML code for embedding to ensure compliance with their specific user agreement.
Tip: Link, don’t screenshot. You can link directly to the post rather than embedding it directly to be extra safe.
Rule #3: When it comes to AI-generated assets, it can get messy
Current US Copyright Office guidance states that AI-generated art (without significant human “creative control”) cannot be copyrighted. That means while you might not be sued for using an AI image, you also don’t own it, meaning others can steal it from your blog or article without recourse.
You should also be wary of AI outputs that closely mimic famous trademarked characters or celebrities, as these can still trigger infringement claims. Unless there’s a licensing deal in place, like the one between Disney and OpenAI, your AI-generated art could be breaking the rules.
Rule #4: The rules still apply to GIFs and memes
It’s become commonplace to share memes and animated reaction GIFs in the social media age. These images have become such a pervasive part of internet discourse that they’re like a language of their own. However, that doesn’t mean that memes and GIFs are automatically free game for anyone who wants to use them – especially if you’re in a position to profit from their use.
If you’re sharing a GIF or meme in a social media post, it’s safer to use the built-in app keyboards in X, LinkedIn, etc., as the apps have licensing agreements already in place.
So Where Do You Find Free Images Online?
Now that you know a bit more about copyright and why you should avoid using copyrighted images, you’re probably wondering where you can go for safe-to-use photos. There are several options available to you, and some of the best are totally free:
- Canva – Canva’s built-in library, which has its own specific licensing agreement, covers many of the rules automatically. A free account gives users access to a wide variety of CC0 and Public Domain images, and paid licenses are also available.
- Pixabay – Pixabay offers a large library of public domain, CC0 and royalty-free images free to use. Here’s the license summary.
- Unsplash – Beautiful high-resolution photographs licensed under its own “Unsplash License.” While free, the site specifically prohibits using images to create a competing service or selling unaltered copies.
- Pexels – Photos and videos can be downloaded and used for free, without attribution. Here’s a breakdown of the rules.
- Life of Pix – A stock photo site with high-resolution photos of landscapes, people and more, free of copyright restrictions.
- Gratisography – A site that focuses on quirky images, this is a great source of royalty-free photos that don’t look like basic stock photography.
- Stockvault – This site features a highly searchable database of both free and premium stock photography for commercial, non-commercial and creative commons licensing. The themed image bundles are especially useful.
- Cliply – Royalty-free animated GIF clipart to use on your blog, social media, videos and more.
There are many other free photography sites to browse online. And your options expand even further if you’re willing to spend a few dollars on licensing or a monthly subscription.
A Final Word of Warning
Most stock photography sites run on user-submitted content, and the site administrators can’t always vet the images being submitted. This means that stolen or re-sold images sometimes show up in the results. You can be held liable for using them even if you downloaded them from a legitimate site.
To protect yourself, it’s a good idea to do a cursory search of the image to check whether it might be stolen. To do this, you can use Google Lens (the camera icon) or TinEye to find other places where an image has been shown. A quick glance over the results should help you determine if the image might be circulating without proper attribution.
(Note: This is an updated version of a post originally published in 2020.)
