Fair Use

FAIR USE - Fair use is a limitation on the exclusive rights of the copyright owner; in other words, it allows reasonable public access to copyrighted works.
The idea is an important part of the English common-law tradition. 

Why does FAIR USE exist?
FAIR USE allows people to use images and written works without compensating the original writer/creator, as long as they act in good faith and do not profit from reproducing the work.  Education, parody, criticism, news reporting, etc are all examples of fair use.
 
The idea of FAIR USE has guided the use of reproductions of works for years.  In most cases, the lack of commercial gain is necessary for a claim of fair use.  If you are a non-profit website designed for educational purposes, you are in the perfect position to claim FAIR USE of images which are already in the PUBLIC DOMAIN.

Copyright

COPYRIGHT - The legal right given to a writer, composer, artist, or a distributor to exclusive production, sale, or distribution of their work. 

Why does COPYRIGHT exist?
It allows artists to profit from their work.  Profit, in turn, creates an incentive to work and distribute the work.

Creative Commons

A set of licences intended to offer the consumer more freedoms than traditional copyright (sometimes abbreviated CC) 

en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Creative_Commons

Creative Commons (CC) is a nonprofit organization that offers flexible copyright licenses for creative works. ... 

www.gitta.info/website/en/html/website_glossary.html

A new "copyleft license" aimed at flexible handling of copyright protection for all kinds of creative work (books, websites, blogs ... 

www.share.uni-koeln.de/

Creative Commons is a non-profit organization dedicated to allowing creators to easily and freely share their work with others through the use of six basic types of licenses. ... 

www.wpi.edu/about/policies/Copyright/glossary.html

Public Domain

The public domain is an intellectual property designation for the range of content that is not owned or controlled by anyone. These materials are "public property", and available for anyone to use freely for any purpose. ...

Why does PUBLIC DOMAIN exist? It exists to allow the free exchange of knowledge.  If it did not, museums would be allowed to keep images under perpetual copyright, thus denying everyone the opportunity to view, critique, or otherwise examine works. Please note that most 20th century works of art are not yet considered part of the PUBLIC DOMAIN. Click here to view a chart of when works pass into the public domain.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain

a work in the public domain is free for everyone to use without asking for permission or paying royalties. The phrase "public domain" is a copyright term referring to works that belong to the public. ...

www.library.ualberta.ca/guides/plagiarism/terminology/index.cfm

The status of publications, products, and processes that are not protected under patent or copyright. 

library.thinkquest.org/06aug/02220/glossary/index.html

Art, literature, photographs, or music that is available for use by anyone, without cost, because the material has not been copyrighted or because the copyright has expired 

www.mbc.edu/grafton/rpc/glossary.php



What is Extended License and when do I need one?

Extended license covers use for Design Templates for resale (Web and/or Print), Prints for Resale Poster, Greeting Cards, Prints on Merchandise for Resale (mugs, stationery, t-shirts, etc), Design Elements on Software for Resale and any other Derivative Resale Objects. Each extended license is applicable for (one) image.

What is comping image?

“Comping image” are low-resolution images used only for illustrative purposes, such as for client presentations or drafts. They cannot be used for any finished project, whether personal or professional.

What are the differences between Royalty-Free and Rights-Managed?

Rights-managed offers individual images to be rented through the negotiation of a specific price for a specific use. It offers clients exclusive rights plus the ability to restrict similar use of the image by others.

The royalty-free concept allows customers an unlimited usage, where they do not need to pay royalties after the initial purchase. This greatly reduces the costs and allows greater freedom with the images purchased.

What is Royalty-Free?

Royalty-Free Digital Stock Photography is a concept where user of the images does not have to pay any royalty for repeated use of the images. The buyer does not own the copyright of the images but have purchased the rights to use the images legally without additional fees or interruption from the retailer. These images cannot be sold or transferred but it offers a wide range of benefits; mainly lower pricing and convenience.

What's the difference between RGB and CMYK formats?

RGB is the primary color model used by electronic display devices such as a monitor. CMYK is the primary color model used by color printers. In RGB, images are created by combining red, green, and blue light. This additive process can create millions of different colors by using different concentrations of the primaries. CMYK, in contrast, creates different colors in a subtractive process using four colors or inks: cyan (blue), magenta (red), yellow, and black.

The differences between RGB and CMYK become crucial when desktop publishers attempt to move documents from their screens onto hard copy. There are many RGB colors that CMYK printers cannot reproduce. Something that looks good on the monitor may not look the same in print. Therefore, it will be best for you to check with the printing company as they can advise you on whether the quality of the images would be sufficient for your project.

What is stock photography?

Instead of assigning your own photographers, stock photography is a set of ready-to-use images for subscribers who purchased the rights to use them. With digital stock photography, you get to see the final image even before you are granted the rights to use them and these images can be licensed immediately. The cost for stock photography, especially royalty-free images are much lower compared to assignment photography. Stock photography saves you model, photographer, location, props, art direction and editing costs.