Finding free images

[dragica659]

Thank you for quick response to my previous question about Amazon.
I found many templates and images for downloading at this Microsoft site:
Office - Office.com
I am still not sure if I can use this images for commercial purposes and put them on my site and my Facebook fan page . Please, answer me if you are familiar with this topic.
Thank you for your time.

 

[Laura61]

I don't know about that, but you can also do a Google Advanced Search to find images free for commercial use at Google Advanced Image Search

Just go to the bottom and choose "Free to use or share, even commercially" under "Usage Rights." You can also use certain Flickr photos if the owners have marked them with Creative Commons license. Flickr: Creative Commons

 

[Linda Buquet]

Wowser those Office images LOOK like a gold mine. I could not find any usage rights or copyright limitations at all anywhere. I'd look very carefully yourself, but looks to me like these are public domain. I found some I'm going to use for blog images.

 

[FitGal]

Just be ultra careful using images. Some people for example, load images on Flickr that they don't have rights to use. In addition, you want to watch out when taking images off the net or having any design work done for you where you are unsure where the designer got the images.

Also when you buy products that include free use of photos make sure they truly are free use. I recently purchased a product that included tons of images for use. I asked the creator about copyrights and he admitted he did not have full rights to them. I returned the product and he later deleted the images, but he could have gotten a whole lot of people into a ton of trouble.

And if you purchase a website, make sure the person has the right to use the photos on the site.

Getty images has bots that actively seek out their photographs online. People using the images are slapped with fines in the thousands of dollars EVEN if they remove the images!
Just Google Getty image lawsuit.

It is not worth saving a few bucks on a photo to get slapped with the nightmare of a lawsuit. These companies are very aggressive.

 

[djbaxter]

See:

Favorite 10 Free Stock Photo Download Sites
Dazzlin Donna
June 25, 2012

Need a free stock photo? Free … meaning you don’t have to pay anyone cold, hard cash for its use? Look no further. I’ve compiled my top 10 list of favorite stock photo sites that don’t cost you anything. Make sure you read any terms of usage, however, as you may need to attribute its source via a link or mention.

 

[jojoinla]

I'm always making a search for "Royalty-Free images" but I keep an eye out for sites that have reasonable prices for images....especially ones I need.

I've made used images from Google Advanced Search....once the creative was completed. I had to go back and then buy the exact same image from a pay site to appease my legal staff.

 

[DanoPano]

Hi dragica...

Here is a snippet from Microsoft's legal team re: images you found on that page...have a look at it. Your answer is here:

17. Office.com and Office Web App media elements and templates

If you use Microsoft Office.com or the Microsoft Office Web Apps, you may have access to media images, clip art, animations, sounds, music, video clips, templates, and other forms of content ("media elements") provided with the software available on Office.com or as part of a service associated with the software. You may copy and use the media elements in projects and documents. You may not: (i) sell, license, or distribute copies of the media elements by themselves or as a product if the primary value of the product is the media elements; (ii) grant your customers rights to further license or distribute the media elements; (iii) license or distribute for commercial purposes media elements that include the representation of identifiable individuals, governments, logos, trademarks, or emblems or use these types of images in ways that could imply an endorsement or association with your product, entity or activity; or (iv) create obscene works using the media elements. For more information, see the Use of Microsoft Copyrighted Content webpage (Use of Microsoft Copyrighted Content).

Hope that helps.
-Dan

Thank you for quick response to my previous question about Amazon.
I found many templates and images for downloading at this Microsoft site:
Office - Office.com
I am still not sure if I can use this images for commercial purposes and put them on my site and my Facebook fan page . Please, answer me if you are familiar with this topic.
Thank you for your time.

---------- Post Merged at 11:49 AM ----------

Hello Linda,

Just read your post as quoted below. If you are referring to the images located at Office - Office.com, then, please note this which I found on that site's legal page. If not, then pardon my big nose :

17. Office.com and Office Web App media elements and templates

If you use Microsoft Office.com or the Microsoft Office Web Apps, you may have access to media images, clip art, animations, sounds, music, video clips, templates, and other forms of content ("media elements") provided with the software available on Office.com or as part of a service associated with the software. You may copy and use the media elements in projects and documents. You may not: (i) sell, license, or distribute copies of the media elements by themselves or as a product if the primary value of the product is the media elements; (ii) grant your customers rights to further license or distribute the media elements; (iii) license or distribute for commercial purposes media elements that include the representation of identifiable individuals, governments, logos, trademarks, or emblems or use these types of images in ways that could imply an endorsement or association with your product, entity or activity; or (iv) create obscene works using the media elements. For more information, see the Use of Microsoft Copyrighted Content webpage (Use of Microsoft Copyrighted Content).

Hope that helps!
-Dan

Wowser those Office images LOOK like a gold mine. I could not find any usage rights or copyright limitations at all anywhere. I'd look very carefully yourself, but looks to me like these are public domain. I found some I'm going to use for blog images.