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Creative commons question - CAN I DO THIS?

by Tcodm
15 replies
Hello guys, on my blog I go to flickr and then I search pictures ONLY under the creative commons.

Then I put them into my blogs, and at the end of every article I give a link back to the flickr page I got the picture from..

Is this allowed?
#commons #creative #question
  • Profile picture of the author figgity
    Yes. That's allowed. I'm pretty sure that's the proper way to attribute Flickr images.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tcodm
    thank you, can someone else confirm this too?
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  • Profile picture of the author scrofford
    That's what I've been doing since I started blogging a few years ago.
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  • Profile picture of the author john01a
    I do the same thing on my blog as well... I link back to the Flickr image page. Unless the creator of the photo doesn't specify what site address you should link back to, linking back to the Flickr page makes complete sense
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  • Profile picture of the author eternalsongbird
    You are doing the right thing. Go ahead.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mark Singletary
    There are, of course, several different types of Creative Commons licenses. All of them have different terms. Some, for example, forbid using their pictures on a commercial site. Check here for more information: Flickr: Creative Commons

    Mark
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  • Profile picture of the author Tcodm
    okay my website is trendingphones.com and I don't think my website is commericial is it? because I don't check what creative commons license is, instead I go to flickr - advance search - then I check the creative commons box - and then I search what picture I need and take it, and link back to the flickr page.

    Now, the question is for me to post on my site can I post any picture under creative commons since my website isn't selling anything..
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    • Profile picture of the author john01a
      Originally Posted by Tcodm View Post

      okay my website is trendingphones.com and I don't think my website is commericial is it? because I don't check what creative commons license is, instead I go to flickr - advance search - then I check the creative commons box - and then I search what picture I need and take it, and link back to the flickr page.

      Now, the question is for me to post on my site can I post any picture under creative commons since my website isn't selling anything..
      I don't think commercial use is necessarily limited to whether you're selling something or not. Generating income through advertising, as Mark Singletary and miklanderson2 have pointed out, might also be considered commercial use.

      Direct and Indirect Commercial Use
      To be honest, I don't know whether the Creative Commons licenses that don't allow Commercial Use, such as the CC-NC and CC-NC-SA licenses, refer to commercial use indirectly as well as directly.

      If it refers to Commercial Use indirectly as well as directly, then using the images on a blog that makes money through advertising, could be seen as commercial use.

      But, like I said, I'm not sure about whether it includes direct and indirect commercial use.

      Playing it Safe
      Since my blog makes money through affiliate income, and I'm not sure whether this would qualify as commercial use or not, I play it safe and only use images that allow commercial use, such as images licensed under a CC-BY license.

      So, if you're unsure about whether using the images on your blog would be considered "commercial use," why not just use images that allow commercial use?

      The Alternative
      If you want to use images that don't allow commercial use, then you have to make sure that you're not using it for commercial use.

      So, either read up about Creative Commons licenses directly from Creativecommons.org (and contact them for further clarification if necessary) or seek clarification from a lawyer... or contact the creator of the image to find out if you can use the image on your blog

      Beyond Attribution
      There are creative commons licenses that require more than attribution, such as the CC-BY-SA license. In this case, you'd have to license your work that incorporates the work licensed under the CC-BY-SA license, under the same license... in addition to providing attribution. At least, that's how I read it.

      It's best to read about all the different Creative Commons licenses directly from the Creative Commons Website.

      Furthermore, some creators of the creative commons licensed images, specify how you should provide attribution. In such cases, you have to provide attribution as specified by the creator of the image.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tcodm
    could someone please verify if im doing it right, regarding my previous post.
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  • Profile picture of the author mrelk159
    Yes if it is a creative common then you can use it, share it, monitize it, without any legal confrontations, good luck.
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    • Profile picture of the author Mark Singletary
      NO you can't unless you first check which type of Creative Commons license is being used and act accordingly.

      Mark

      Originally Posted by mrelk159 View Post

      Yes if it is a creative common then you can use it, share it, monitize it, without any legal confrontations, good luck.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tcodm
    most of the ones I use just have that little line with an arrow thats it.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mark Singletary
    I'm not sure what to tell you. You either are serious about being legal or not. If you are serious you can go and research it, check the files before you download them, understand the different types of licenses, etc.

    Asking here is no good. Not a soul here will defend you in court if sued. While it's good that you are asking, take it to the next level and find your own answers.

    I gave you a good head start. Read that page. Go to the Creative Commons website to get more details. Do your due diligence.

    As you can see opinions vary. Just because someone else steals doesn't mean you get to too. Just because someone thinks something is right or wrong for them doesn't necessarily mean it's right or wrong for you.

    As far as your site being commercial or not - that's probably a grey area and best decided by a lawyer. You do make money off it, right even though nothing is "for sale" as you say. You sell advertising, right?

    Not sure what else to do to help you.

    Wish you the best.
    Mark
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  • Profile picture of the author vivo
    You are in the green. Although you might want to check, because some have statements for some licenses that say you need to give them credit. But mostly, it's fine
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  • Profile picture of the author miklanderson2
    Most creative commons licenses require attribution. Some require attribution in the manner specified by the owner. A link back to the Flikr page may not be sufficient if the owner of the picture is asking for a certain type of attribution.

    I think you may be treading on dangerous ground by assuming your site isn't commercial when you have Adsense on it. You're making money off the site and I'm no lawyer, but I think that may qualify as commercial. Your best bet is to contact a lawyer that's well-versed in this sort of stuff and seek consultation. As you can see, you're going to get a wide range of answers, and there's no way for you to tell for sure which of them are right.
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    "A bargain is something you don’t need at a price you can’t resist."
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