Copyright and Permissions

Found a cool image you want to include in your work?  Before reusing an image in a lesson, presentation, advertisement, or publication, it is recommended that you complete the following steps to determine if you must request permission to use it. (Not all images require reuse permission.)

Step 1: Determine the copyright status of the image.

Who created the image? When was it published/created? Who currently owns the copyright for the image? This information will help you determine whether or not the image has passed into the public domain. If the image is in the public domain, you are free to use it however you wish, without permission. (But remember to cite your sources.)

• Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the U.S.

Step 2: Look for a reuse license associated with the image.

Sometimes an image will have a license attached to it explaining how it may be used in other forms of scholarship such as in presentations and publications. If you are using library-licensed images, a librarian can help you locate the publisher’s terms of use. Images found on the web may have a Creative Commons license, which states in advance how an image may be used.

Examples of licenses:

• McGraw-Hill Medical's Image and PowerPoint Usage Guidelines

• Creative Commons Licensing Types

Step 3: Determine whether the use of the image falls under Fair Use.

Fair Use is a a provision of U.S. Copyright Law that permits use of copyrighted materials without permission under certain circumstances. For instance, if a copyrighted image is used as the subject of sustained criticism or commentary, rather than for aesthetic or illustrative purposes, the use will likely qualify as fair. Use the Fair Use Checklist (below) to evaluate the fairness of your intended use, and keep copies of completed checklists as evidence of your due diligence.

• Fair Use Checklist

• Measuring Fair Use: The Four Factors (Stanford University Libraries)

Step 4: Seek permission from the copyright owner if your use does not fall under Fair Use.

Disclaimer: publishers may charge you a fee to reuse an image. Detailed information on seeking permission, including templates of permission request letters, is available in the following guide:

• Columbia University's Guide to Asking for Permission

Step 5: Reconsider your use of the work if you cannot get permission.

If you determine that your use does not fall under Fair Use, and you are unable to obtain permission or pay a licensing fee, reconsider your use of this work to see if you can make a stronger fair use case, or consider using another work.

Source:  Images, Videos, and Procedures: Copyright & Permissions, The Charlotte Edwards Maguire Library, The College of Medicine, Florida State University; https://med-fsu.libguides.com/images/permissions. This content was reused with permission on 9/7/2023

• Statement on the Fair Use of Images for Teaching, Research, and Study

• Using Images in Teaching (online and otherwise)

• What Can I Put In My Online Course?

• Can I Use that Picture?

  Flow chart to help you answer the "fair use" question.

• Fair Use for Nonfiction Authors

  This guide, developed by the Authors Alliance, is designed to empower nonfiction authors to exercise their right to incorporate source materials into their writings by helping them to make confident fair use decisions.

Source: Images, Videos, and Procedures: Copyright & Permissions, The Charlotte Edwards Maguire Library, The College of Medicine, Florida State University; https://med-fsu.libguides.com/images/permissions. This content was reused by permission on 9/7/23.