Copyright and image resources

Copyrightable objects include: pictorial, graphic and sculptural works, and include two-dimensional and three-dimensional works of fine, graphic, and applied art (photographs, prints, other art reproductions, maps, globes, charts, diagrams, models, and architectural plans). Among other things, reproducing images or works of art by photographing them and displaying those photos, by copying a logo, or by scanning an image, may be violations of copyright.

Disclaimer: These guidelines represent the college's best effort at articulating copyright principles. They neither represent general legal advice nor a legal response to a specific situation.

May I use Google images in a PowerPoint Presentation for a professional conference?

Use of a few copyrighted images from Google as part of an educational presentation is probably fine from a copyright perspective. “…there’s a good case that using one or two images in a Powerpoint presentation is fair use. The educational purpose, small amount used, and minimal market harm all cut in that direction. If the presentation is part of teaching in the university context it might also fall under the 110(1) teaching exception that permits display in this context” (quoted from Will Cross, the University of North Carolina Libraries Copyright Manager). It is good practice to attribute the image in some way such as include a small URL below the image to the source or include a slide with “credits” at the end.

There are Google images you can use freely in your presentation by following these steps:

Go to Google Images
Type in the image you are looking for
Click on the dropdown box “Search Tools”
Click on the dropdown box “Usage rights” and select “labeled for reuse”
Click “Visit Page” to verify rights

May an artist incorporate company logos into their artistic work and display that work publicly, including having photos of it viewed on social media or a website? What use can be made of company logos, particularly in art?

It is generally held that use of logos for purposes of commentary in art is legitimate. The logos are not being used for branding, and do not imply endorsement or sales, so they fall under fair use.

That said, the one spot that would be tricky would be her desire to put images online. It’s not that she would necessarily run afoul of the law, but if a company wanted to hassle her, this could bring it to their attention. Sometimes being right isn’t worth it, so discretion might be a consideration.

Here are a couple of resources that may shed further light on this:

Using Trademarks in Artistic Works Can Be Protected Under The First Amendment (tech-dirt article)
Saabira Chaudhuri, “Selling your Crafts? You Need to Know about Copyrights and Trademarks (Wall Street Journal, 2012; available under license to Messiah College)

I find a cartoon that I'd like to show in class. Do I need to get copyright permission to use it in class, and from whom do I request copyright permission for such ephemera as cartoons?

As far as I can tell, using a cartoon in a presentation in a classroom setting is always covered under fair use, regardless of number of times it is used. There are a couple key caveats, of course: If the cartoon is printed out and distributed, then it follows the same one-time use rules as other texts. Also this fair use applies only in the classroom—not in conference or business presentations.

Furthermore, it does appear that using cartoons in presentations that are shared with students through an class-restricted online system that accompanies as face-to-face class still falls under fair use. In other words, uploading your presentation to Canvas is OK; putting it on a publicly accessible website would not be OK.

Here are a couple of very clear explanations:

Using cartoons in contexts that require permission—on a website or at a conference, for instance—gets a bit trickier. If you know the source of the cartoon (e.g. it was in The New Yorker or the Patriot-News, you should be able to find the copyright owner. In the case of the New Yorker and many other magazines, the publication itself probably owns the copyright. In the case of the newspaper, the cartoon is probably managed through a syndicate, such as Universal Uclick, where permission can be sought.

Where can I find free public domain resources (images, pictures)?

A: There are a number of places from which you can find copyright free resources. BEWARE that some/many of these sources have both copyrighted and copyright-free images and further steps need to be taken to make sure the image is free for use.

Sources with all public domain/copyright free images:

Sources with some public domain/copyright free images (with steps to determine specific licensing)

Google images
- After entering a search, select “Search Tools”, then “Usage rights”, and select “Labeled for reuse”, and finally Click "Visit Page" to verify rights. *
FreeImages
- Yes, images are free as long as you stick to the rules in the Image license Agreement. If there are any use restrictions, they will appear under the image previews, right next to the Download button.

For more sites:

Additional Resources