Intellectual property
I often hear "Well I found the image on Google, I’m pretty sure I can use it, right?" This is a big mistake. An image is not free of rights because it is found on Google Image, quite the opposite! The image was posted by someone else and that person has the rights to use it, whether because it’s their own picture or because they bought the rights. Photos and images are all subject to the rules relating to intellectual property and you don’t have any rights on an image taken online.
You can’t use a photo, image or illustration if you aren’t the author and don’t hold the rights. You can find images online that are free for personal use, but you must make sure that you’ve read the license and that this license permits you to use the image! Often Royalty Free Stock Photos sites have a set of license you must follow depending on your use of the image. For example, sometimes they require you to put a caption under the photo mentioning the photographer or agency that took the picture. If you find a picture with a search engine and that it’s the perfect picture you were looking for, take the time to check if it is free to use or contact the webmaster for references on the author. It’s a necessity and can save you hundreds of dollars. If you use an image that is not yours or legal, you could be fined and in general, the fines are pretty high! If you are a small business or an autoentrepreneur, every penny counts and you probably don’t like surprises of this kind! Taking the time to validate the legality of a picture is worth the time. You are responsible for the content posted on your site, so be careful!
The solutions
We highly recommend that you purchase your photos via an image bank or to take your own pictures, with your own cameraThese are two easy ways to avoid complications. The online image banks are often very affordable and offer professional photos for your site. This will improve your design and give to your site a more unique style! If you take your own photos, make sure they are clear, sharp and blur-free! A picture that's too amateur looking may discourage your potential customers, especially in your e-shop!