Credit Is Not a License: 5 Myths About Using Photos Online
General information, not legal advice. Copyright rules differ from country to country and change over time. For your specific situation, talk to a qualified lawyer in your country.
Every photographer has heard these. Most of them are wrong, and believing them costs you control over your work.
Myth 1: “It is online, so it is free to use.” No. Posting a photo publicly does not put it in the public domain or give anyone the right to reuse it. You still hold the copyright. Public does not mean free.
Myth 2: “I credited the photographer, so it is fine.” Credit is not a license. Tagging you or linking back is polite, and in many EU countries you even have a right to that credit, but it does not make an unauthorized use legal. Permission and a credit are two different things. (For what you do own from the start, see photographer copyright basics.)
Myth 3: “It is only for a non-profit or a fan page, so copyright does not apply.” Copyright still applies. Non-commercial use can sometimes change what a court decides about damages, but it does not mean permission was not needed. You may be perfectly happy for a fan to share your shot, and that is your call to make, not theirs.
Myth 4: “I changed it (cropped, filtered, added text), so it is a new work.” Minor edits do not create a new copyright or wipe out yours. A cropped or filtered version of your photo is still your photo, which is also why reverse image search can still match it.
Myth 5: “If they take it down when I ask, there is no problem.” Taking it down is good, but the unauthorized use already happened. For a commercial use you may still be owed a license fee for the time it was up. Removal is not the same as it never happening.
The pattern
Almost all of these come down to one idea: only you decide how your work is used. Some reuse you will happily wave through, some you will not. Either way, the choice should be yours, and you can only make it if you know the reuse exists.
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Frequently asked
If a photo is online, is it free to use?
No. Posting a photo publicly does not put it in the public domain or give anyone the right to reuse it. The photographer still holds the copyright. Public does not mean free.
Does crediting the photographer make the use legal?
No. Credit and permission are two different things. A credit is polite, and in many EU countries you have a right to it, but it does not turn an unauthorized use into a licensed one.
If they edit the photo, is it a new work?
Minor edits like a crop, filter or added text do not create a new copyright or remove yours. It is still your photo, which is why reverse image search can still match an edited copy.
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