{
    "version" : "https://jsonfeed.org/version/1",
    "content" : "news",
    "type" : "single",
    "title" : "Can Federal Agencies Use Getty Images’ Free Share Tool? |Digital.gov",
    "description": "Can Federal Agencies Use Getty Images’ Free Share Tool?",
    "home_page_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/","feed_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/04/03/can-federal-agencies-use-getty-images-free-share-tool/index.json","item" : [
    {"title" :"Can Federal Agencies Use Getty Images’ Free Share Tool?","summary" : "Earlier this month, stock photo giant Getty Images launched an embedded photo viewer, that permits sharing millions of its’ copyrighted images for free. The news generated headlines and questions about whether it’s okay for government content producers to use the tool. From Getty’s perspective, the","date" : "2014-04-03T10:00:32-04:00","date_modified" : "2025-01-27T19:42:55-05:00","authors" : {"judith-snyderman" : "Judith Snyderman"},"topics" : {
        
            "social-media" : "Social media"
            },"branch" : "bc-archive-content-3",
      "filename" :"2014-04-03-can-federal-agencies-use-getty-images-free-share-tool.md",
      
      "filepath" :"news/2014/04/2014-04-03-can-federal-agencies-use-getty-images-free-share-tool.md",
      "filepathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/blob/bc-archive-content-3/content/news/2014/04/2014-04-03-can-federal-agencies-use-getty-images-free-share-tool.md",
      "editpathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/edit/bc-archive-content-3/content/news/2014/04/2014-04-03-can-federal-agencies-use-getty-images-free-share-tool.md","slug" : "can-federal-agencies-use-getty-images-free-share-tool","url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/04/03/can-federal-agencies-use-getty-images-free-share-tool/","content" :"\u003cp\u003e[\u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n    src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2014/04/Getty-article-image.jpg\"\n    alt=\"multiple small images on a computer screen\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEarlier this month, stock photo giant Getty Images launched an embedded photo viewer, that permits sharing millions of its’ copyrighted images for free. The news generated headlines and questions about whether it’s okay for government content producers to use the tool.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom Getty’s perspective, the answer is yes. The company’s main restriction is that the images be used for editorial, non-commercial purposes and government content meets this criteria.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut from our perspective, at the State Department Bureau of International Information Programs, the tool is unsuitable for \u003cstrong\u003eofficial .gov blogs and websites\u003c/strong\u003e because Getty reserves the right to include advertising.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSocial media managers, on the other hand, may be able to use the free embed tool on \u003cstrong\u003eFacebook, Twitter and similar third-party channels\u003c/strong\u003e, pending negotiations of a Terms of Service agreement. But even then, they should consider some practical limitations. The low-resolution display is fixed at 594 x 465 pixels and is branded with the photographer credit and Getty Images logo. These cannot be altered. Not all of Getty’s images are available for embedding. A filtered search for \u003ca href=\"http://www.gettyimages.com/Creative/Frontdoor/embed\"\u003eGetty images with the embedded viewer option\u003c/a\u003e is available.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConsidering the large number of image resources with full rights that federal agencies can tap, we recommend our social media managers consider Getty’s embedded viewer as an alternative rather than as a primary image source.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGetty’s announcement underscores the complex, shifting picture of image acquisitions, rights and usage. The protection of intellectual property rights is a core value that the Department of State stresses in its international engagement.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor those new to the discussion, here are some thoughts about image rights to assist the search for dynamic photographs to enhance digital content presented on government digital platforms.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e(Disclaimer: This is intended as general background information only–Always consult agency guidance!)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"can-i-freely-use-a-photo-i-find-on-the-internet\"\u003eCan I Freely Use a Photo I Find on the Internet?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost images are \u003cstrong\u003ecopyrighted\u003c/strong\u003e, but some are in \u003cstrong\u003epublic domain\u003c/strong\u003e. Generally speaking, you need permission from the owner of a photograph to use it.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCopyright law in the U.S. automatically makes the photographer the owner of the image.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCompanies that manage large photo collections like AP, AFP, Getty, Corbis, Magnum etc., manage the rights and terms of use for all the images they distribute.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMost U.S. government created works are in the public domain under U.S. law. If you are in the United States, you don’t need permission to use photographs that the federal government owns, including:\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePhotos taken by government staff or, under certain circumstances, work-for-hire photographers.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePhotos donated by owners to federal archives and libraries with no usage restrictions.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOld photos with expired, un-renewed copyrights. (For practical purposes though, assume unattributed images you find on the Internet are protected by copyright.)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"what-is-an-efficient-strategy-to-find-photos-i-can-use\"\u003eWhat Is an Efficient Strategy to Find Photos I Can Use?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne sure way to acquire photos with appropriate rights is to get them from primary, trusted sources.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAvoid unfiltered Google image searches due to time-consuming research that may be needed to authenticate copyright status and obtain permissions.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUse Google’s image search filter “by usage rights”. If you choose an image “labeled for reuse” still check who did the labeling to confirm the rights status.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eConnect to primary image sources through your agency. Federal agencies including the Department of State often maintain license agreements with copyrighted news and stock image libraries. Terms of use vary, but this is a great way to quickly find appropriate images with verified caption/cutline/credit information and usage rules.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTap into online photo collections with public domain photographs such as:\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.archives.gov/research/search/\"\u003eThe National Archives\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://loc.gov/pictures/\"\u003eLibrary of Congress\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDepartment of Defense \u003ca href=\"http://www.dvidshub.net/\"\u003eDVIDS\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Graphics.shtml\"\u003eUSA.gov Images\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany agencies curate and feature some of their best images in \u003ca href=\"https://www.flickr.com/photos/statephotos/sets/\"\u003eFlickr streams\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"http://www.archives.gov/social-media/tumblr.html\"\u003eTumblr\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://www.pinterest.com/nasa/\"\u003ePinterest\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"http://instagram.com/statedept\"\u003eInstagram\u003c/a\u003e and other social media channels.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"how-else-might-i-get-permission-to-use-copyrighted-photographs\"\u003eHow Else Might I Get Permission to Use Copyrighted Photographs?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLook in Creative Commons. More and more photographers are sharing their own copyrighted images online and allowing reuse under terms they set out in “\u003ca href=\"http://search.creativecommons.org/\"\u003ecreative commons\u003c/a\u003e” license agreements. Since creative commons licenses don’t guarantee rights status, it remains best practice to rely on primary, trusted sources.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLicense individual images. Contact the rights owner with a full description of the images and how, where and for how long you wish to distribute them.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFair Use. Content producers sometimes use copyrighted photographs without permission by claiming a legal defense known as “fair use.” Seek clearance at your agency before using copyrighted images based on fair use doctrine.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"how-do-i-ensure-proper-future-use-of-photos-i-post\"\u003eHow Do I Ensure Proper Future Use of Photos I Post?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe best strategy is to consistently take the time to properly tag, caption and credit photographs. This will not only clearly identify what is public domain and what is copyrighted, but also make it easier for future researchers to find your best photographs.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJudith Snyderman\u003c/strong\u003e is a stock image specialist and contractor for government agencies.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n"}
  ]
}