Royalty-free images
Does not mean FREE images, there can still be FEES to be paid.
Royalty-free, or RF, refers to the right to use copyright material or intellectual property without the need to pay royalties or license fees for each use, per each copy, volume or some time period of use or sales.
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Royalty free commonly means that you are required to pay a one-time fee for the right to use an image (or other copyright protected work), according to terms & conditions published by the stock library. Royalty free usually means that there are no on-going license fees due for further use. It doesn’t mean that the image is free of copyright or indeed FREE!
Even free to use, or creative commons licenses, can have terms and conditions attached to them. The majority, specify ‘personal use’ which does not include commercial use. Nor the right to modify adapt or change the image or design. Only terms and conditions that explicitly allow for free commercial use are free to use for a business or any organisation that expects to profit from the use. This also includes not for profit or charities unless specifically stated in the Terms & Conditions
The best advice is read the stock libraries licence and terms and conditions before you use any of their material. Check specifically to see if they offer legal protection should some dispute arise and that you have specific permission to use the image commercially.
Always remember that you do not hold an exclusive licence to use royalty free images hundreds, even thousand businesses in your area could be using same images for their businesses. If you are looking for exclusivity, look elsewhere, or better still commission your own bespoke images.
Please note: this is only a summary, that one or more copyrights, licences or exclusions can exist on a single image. Always check the terms and conditions of the licence before use.
Gavin Bryan-Tansley
Even free to use, or creative commons licenses, can have terms and conditions attached to them. The majority, specify ‘personal use’ which does not include commercial use. Nor the right to modify adapt or change the image or design. Only terms and conditions that explicitly allow for free commercial use are free to use for a business or any organisation that expects to profit from the use. This also includes not for profit or charities unless specifically stated in the Terms & Conditions
The best advice is read the stock libraries licence and terms and conditions before you use any of their material. Check specifically to see if they offer legal protection should some dispute arise and that you have specific permission to use the image commercially.
Always remember that you do not hold an exclusive licence to use royalty free images hundreds, even thousand businesses in your area could be using same images for their businesses. If you are looking for exclusivity, look elsewhere, or better still commission your own bespoke images.
Please note: this is only a summary, that one or more copyrights, licences or exclusions can exist on a single image. Always check the terms and conditions of the licence before use.
Gavin Bryan-Tansley
VidFX+ Advertising.
