Copyright and Fair Use

Different rules apply if you are using an image as part of a class assignment versus creating something you plan to publish.

• For Class: make sure you cite any image you use (see the Citation Guide for format). Most of GCC Library's Databases provide citations in correct format if you find the image in the database. Plagiarism and copyright infringement are not the same. Copyright infringement is illegal and has potentially legal and monetary consequences; plagiarism in academic terms can result in academic consequences (failing grade, referral to administration, academic probation.)
• For Publication: Assume all images you find online are copyrighted. Look for an explanation of how the image can be used. The safest designation is one that is in "public domain." These are open for any use. Others may indicate you can use the image with proper attribution, which is the guideline for Creative Commons licenses. When in doubt, contact the creator and ask for permission or don't use!

Google Searches:

Images on a general Google search are likely copyright protected, but there is a way to narrow down the results to usable pictures and graphics.

1. When performing a search, click on "settings," then "advanced settings."
2. Then (under "usage rights") choose "free to use or share" or "free to use, share, or modify." 
3. For high-resolution images, click on "tools," then (under "size") "large."

• Creative Commons Image Sharing

  Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.

• National Archives Photos

  All pictures are public domain. Keyword search and then limit to images.

• NASA Image and Video Library

  All images are public domain. Please credit: "NASA/JPL-Caltech" or "Courtesy of NASA/JPL."

• Open Clip Art

  Free clip art.

"Open access" availability does not mean that the images in these collections are in the public domain--rather, it refers to their accessibility for research and educational purposes. For copyright and use restrictions, locate and read the image use policy for each collection.

• National Gallery of Art / NGA Images

  NGA Images is a repository of digital images of the collections of the National Gallery of Art. On this website you can search, browse, share, and download images. A standards-based reproduction guide and a help section provide advice for both novices and experts. More than 51,000 open access digital images up to 4000 pixels each are available free of charge for download and use. NGA Images is designed to facilitate learning, enrichment, enjoyment, and exploration.

• World Images

  Over 73,000 images organized into nearly 900 topical portfolios. Portfolios are grouped by subject. The entire database is searchable. Incorporates AICT - Art Images for Teaching.

• Art Images for College Teaching

  Art Images for College Teaching (AICT) began as a personal project dedicated to the principle of free exchange of image resources for and among members of the educational community. While the AICT site is maintained and distributed under the general auspices of the Minneapolis College of Art & Design (MCAD), this institution is not responsible for content or use thereof. All work on the AICT project has been voluntary, and MCAD-affiliated personnel have contributed innumerable hours of research, clerical, and design effort on a pro-bono basis. Use of the images displayed on this website has also been contributed on a non-royalty basis for the public good.
  
  AICT certifies that the image copies provided hereunder, the originals being the copyrighted intellectual property of art historian and photographer Allan T. Kohl (unless otherwise credited), are licensed for non-profit use as set forth below, and that the art and architectural works documented are, to the best of its knowledge, within the public domain

• Library of Congress Prints & Photographs

  Nearly one million digital images taken from the Library's 50+ collections of prints and photographs. Included are images from the the National Child Labor Committee Collection, the U.S. News and World Report Magazine Photograph Collection, the Library of Congress Baseball Card Collection, and the Collection of Architecture, Design and Engineering Drawings.