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Media Copyright
- Images, Music & Audio, Film & Video, Generative AI & Data Copyright HelpFind help based on the kind of media you are using.
Creative Commons Images for Reuse
Most Creative Commons licenses require you to attribute - cite - the original image. Remember to do this, and anything else the license requires!
- Wikimedia CommonsOver 16 million freely usable media files. Like Wikipedia, anyone can contribute to the collection. Copyright and licensing information is provided for every image.
- Google Images - Search by ImageClick the camera icon in the search box and search by the image you have in hand (either by URL or by dragging in). Like TinEye, it finds other places online where the image has been posted.
- Europeana This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
(Searches through citations and subject indexing)
A large collections with artworks, artifacts, books, videos and sounds from across Europe. Has filters for Open Licenses.
- Creative Commons Flickr PhotosFlickr is a photo-sharing Web site. Many users of the site choose to offer their work under a Creative Commons license, allowing greater flexibility for use than standard copyright.
- Flickr: The CommonsCollection of photographs that are free of copyright restrictions from dozens of cultural institutions around the world, including the Smithsonian, several U.S. museums, several state archive, NARA, and New York Public Library. Be aware that this is a separate Flickr stream from the main institutional Flickr sites, which often contain copyrighted images. Also note that the Internet Archive Book Images collection is here.
- Creative Commons SearchSearch for items that have been licensed for reuse.
Google Images Licensed for Reuse
In Google images, click on "Tools" and then "Usage Rights." Then select the type of rights that match your needs.
Elements of an Image Caption
The practice of image caption formatting changes depending on context, discipline, citation style, and publication. Is this a paper for class, or a public website?
The purposes of an image caption are to:
- Give credit to the creator: Someone put work into the production of this image and they deserve recognition!
- Provide basic identification or description of the image
- Help other people find this image again
- Clarify the permissions or rights under which you are using the image
Due diligence
Before you decide to use the image, make sure you have done the following:
- Know who the creator is. Because other people have not captioned their images well does not give you license to do so as well. Dig to find who created the image.
- Dig to find the original. It is easy to discover images on social media, but usually those images were originally posted elsewhere. Do not settle for the most convenient location. Look for the most stable and authoritative original version. See the resources on this page for help.
- Determine whether you have the right to redistribute the image in this way. Remember that fair use does not extend to redistribution outside the classroom. If the image is copyrighted, ask for permission. If the image is license free, make sure. If the image is yours, say so. If the image is CC-licensed, you have less to worry about.
Include a rights statement in the caption
Some examples...
- "Used with permission" - in the case of a copyrighted image where you have contacted the creator
- Text of the Creative Commons license - copy the language directly (ex. CC BY-SA, or CC BY 4.0 DEED Attribution 4.0 International, etc.)
- "Public domain" - when you have determined the image is not under copyright or licensed
- "Original photo" or "Author photo" - when you are the creator of the image
- **If the image is Copyrighted or Licensed, you can't reuse it on a public website or document without author permission.
An Example
The adorable face of a hedgehog. Image source: Mark Fletcher, "Hedgehog," 2009. Accessed via https://www.flickr.com/photos/fletchthemonkey/3807893972. CC BY-NC 2.0.
- Chicago Manual of Style: Placement of credit lines3.31: Placement of credit lines. How to format a caption that has content and a citation in it.
