LibGuides: Copyright: Using Images

Using Images & Understanding Permissions

Images found in select resources through the Library may be used for research and/or educational purposes, provided permission is obtained from the copyright holder and credit is given as per copyright holder instructions.

If you have any questions regarding the use of images from any Library resource (books, ebooks, journals, databases, etc.), please contact the Library for guidance or the publisher of the material in question for permission/instruction.

Using Images Found Online

People often assume that online images are free to use, perhaps because they are so easily available: Right click and save, then copy and paste into your work.

In reality, using online images is complicated because some images:

can be used with permission, or under specific terms or licences
must be purchased
cannot be reproduced under any condition

It can be very difficult to determine who actually owns the copyright of online images.

All images are protected by copyright, and it is always your responsibility to find out if and how you are permitted to reproduce them legally and ethically.

We’ve created an infographic to help you with reusing and/or adapting images in your work.

Resources for General Images

Flickr
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Photo management and sharing site. Search can be limited by licence, including Creative Commons. Images must be used as the licence specifies.
Internet Archive Book Images (Flickr)
5+ million copyright-free images are available through this Flickr dataset.
ISO Republic
High-resolution CC0 photos and videos.
iStock by Getty Images
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All images are royalty-free (the licence fee is paid once and there is no need to pay additional royalties if the content is reused). There are pay as you go, pre-paid, and subscription options available.
Microsoft Office Online Pictures
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Microsoft Office Online Pictures is powered by Bing Image Search. Pictures can be directly embedded in your documents via the ribbon at the top of the document screen, under "Insert", then from the "Illustrations" group, click "Online Pictures". A pop-up will appear where you can search for images in the Bing search box. Select a picture, then click insert. Bing uses the Creative Commons only filter which provides a link to the image source. Review the source to determine if your use complies with the license. When using pictures or clip art from Bing, you are responsible for respecting copyright.
Nappy
CC0 licensed, high resolution photographs of black and brown people. For personal and commercial use.
Pexels
Photos and videos are free to use and modify. Attribution is not required but is appreciated.
Pixabay
Over 570000 high quality photos, illustrations, and vector graphics. Free for commercial use. No attribution required.
ShutterStock
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Images are royalty-free (the licence fee is paid once and there is no need to pay additional royalties if the content is reused). There are pay as you go and subscription options available. There are free images available, however, you must sign up for an account.
Unsplash
All photos can be downloaded and used free, for commercial and non-commercial purposes. No attribution is required.
Wikimedia Commons
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Content may be freely reused but may be subject to certain restrictions, including Creative Commons licences. Users must comply with the specific licensing requirements.

Creative Commons & Creative Commons Search

What is Creative Commons?
Creative Commons is a non-profit organization that facilitates sharing and use of content.

The organization has created licenses that standardize and convey how content can be used. Conditions of use are determined by the creator.
If you want to use content governed by a Creative Commons license you must follow the conditions set by the creator.

Openverse
A search engine maintained by WordPress to search for Creative Commons licensed content across the web. You can filter by the type of license, or by intended use (commercial, modify/adapt).
Creative Commons for Educators and Librarians
This publication complements the online course: Creative Commons for Educators and Librarians and provides in-depth coverage of CC licenses, open practices and the ethos of the Commons, published under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 international license.

Resources for Medical Images

ClinicalKey
Images may be exported from the Presentation tool (user account required). You must use the citation provided by Elsevier.

BioMed Central (BMC)
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Open Access publisher of Creative Commons licensed biomedial journals. Unless otherwise indicated in a credit line, images in articles are included in the CC license. Attribution is requred.
Nutrition Label Generator
Free nutrition label generator.
Public Health Image Library (PHIL)
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Images are either "Public Domain" (free use) or "Copyright Protected" (restricted, obtain permission before use).
Wellcome Images
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Images available under Creative Commons license. The Biomedical Collection holds over 40,000 high-quality images from the clinical and biomedical sciences. Selected from the UK's leading teaching hospitals and research institutions, it covers disease, surgery, general healthcare, and sciences from genetics to neuroscience including the full range of imaging techniques.

Icons & Symbols

Aiga.org Symbols
The complete set of 50 passenger/pedestrian symbols developed by AIGA is available for all to use, free of charge. Signs are available here in EPS and GIF formats.
Icon Finder
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Use filters to include only "free" items. Be mindful of license restictions. Some items are free for commercial use with a link back to the designer's website, some are free to use without a link back.
The Noun Project
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The Noun Project has more than 25,000 icons and the collection grows each day. Many icons and symbols are available for free, while others can be purchased. Check the license note under each image for Public Domain, Creative Commons, and other license stipulations.
Open Icon Library

Creating Your Own Images

If you can't find an image to suit your purposes that you are able to safely use, you may be able to create your own image.

Image Editing
Wikipedia