If you have searched for photos to use on your website, you have likely encountered the terms royalty-free and rights managed. So what is the difference between these types of photos?

Rights-Managed Images: Images you purchase for a specific purpose at a specific price (think renting the photo or paying to borrow the image). The price of the picture is usually determined by how you want to use the picture (on the web, in print, etc.). The plus side to using a rights managed photo is that you will most likely NOT see anyone else using the same photo (or model) promoting another product. The downside is of course the price; rights managed photos can cost you double (even triple) of what royalty-free runs.

Copyright in most works of art, which includes writing, photography and digital images occur as the work is created. To put it as simply as possible, the second you click the shutter button, the resulting image belongs to you.

No formal registration is needed in more that 140 countries in the world, to receive basic legal protection. But regardless, if you do feel that you don‘t understand certain legal points, you would be well advised to speak to your legal advisors.

Fact #1- The “Fair Use” part of the US Copyright Law says that in most cases you can allow your students to use copyrighted material such as songs, photos, and other media as long as the finished product is not going to be reproduced and distributed.

Fact #2- In real life (outside the classroom) doing the same thing is illegal and a violation of copyright law punishable by fines and/or jail time.