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Is it OK to use photos from .gov site? public domain?

by fellowgeek
4 replies
  • WEB DESIGN
    • |
Hello Warriors,

I was wondering if anyone can copy and use photos from .gov domains, since they belong to government does it means it is in public domain?
#domain #gov #photos #public #site
  • Profile picture of the author iAmNameLess
    Just because a .gov domain uses a picture doesn't mean you can. It can be owned and licensed from someone else. I had a lawsuit a while back for $4,000 because I used an unlicensed image, so it is better to be safe than sorry for sure!
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  • Profile picture of the author SteveJohnson
    Check the copyright/attribution notice for the photo. If it was taken by a government employee or supplied by a government agency (Hubble telescope photos from NASA, for example), then the photo is in the public domain. But do make certain BEFORE you use it.
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  • Profile picture of the author mgreener
    Hi,

    If you can't figure it out, you can always email the webmaster and ask about the copyright status of the image in question.

    Easier/safer, buy images from istockphoto or similar. Then you KNOW.
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  • Profile picture of the author fellowgeek
    Thanks everybody,

    This is the image I wanted to use for my news article:


    I ended up emailing the Media Contact person, and they said "YES" I can use it.

    Here is the link to the article Scientists Build Interface for Nerves, Prosthetics

    It took them 1 day to answer, so in the mean time I found a photo on flicker with CC license that allows commercial use.

    In this case it is a little hard to tell if the photo is taken by government employee or not.
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