In the world today, visual media is integral in carrying out brand advertising on social media and other online platforms. One way to create attractive visual content for your customers is using celebrity photos. Since the celebrities have a commanding following online, it becomes easy to achieve your marketing agenda. The problem is that improper use of the photos may lead to the violation of image copyright laws. This normally translates to hefty fines.
Luckily, there are ways to avoid such penalties. Here are 5 things to do:
1. Buy Licensed Stock Photos
There are license celebrity photos that you can obtain fast from image stock sites like Shutterstock, iStockphoto, and Getty Images. This means that you don’t have to worry about violating image copyright laws. Besides, the photos are high-quality and come at affordable prices.
2. Seek Owner’s Permission
The easiest way to avoid having a problem with the image owner is to seek permission first. You’ll have to explain how you’ll use the image. While considering this, you should be aware that the owner may ask for a fee before you can use the image.
3. Get Familiar with the ‘Fair Use’ Concept
Sometimes, you are allowed to use celebrity photos without seeking the owner’s permission. This happens when the image use falls under the category ‘Fair Use’. These include:
• Non-profit use of the image
• Illustrative or educational use of the image
4. Credit the Image Creator
Generally, the image copyright belongs to the photographer and not the celebrity. Once you have talked to the image creator, you’ll be directed on the way to properly credit them. Often, the instructions are on their terms and conditions.
Most of the terms and conditions of use will specify how to acknowledge the celebrity when you decide to use the image for commercial intent, so always ensure that you read the terms carefully. If there are no formal instructions, you should note that adding their name or links to their WebPages may not be sufficient. So, it is highly recommended to contact them.
5. Consider Creative Commons Photos
Some images come with specific licensing terms that are set by the photographer. With such license celebrity photos, all you have to do to ensure you don’t violate copyright laws is to follow the terms. They are mostly straightforward for easy compliance.
Conclusion
The image copyright laws are very clear — you have to use celebrity images fairly. The above tips will help you achieve this. Use them whenever you are running a visual media brand promotion campaign and you’ll escape the hefty fines outlined by the copyright law.
