Copyright question

[jrebel]

Copyright question....

If I download a picture of the internet that has a Copyright on it...can I use it for personal use?  I have a picture that I would like to use as our Coyote Madness Logo....is it OK? 

Definitely don't want to use a picture that I shouldn't and make anyone mad. 

Thanks

Johnny

[runamuk]

Usually it means all rights reserved, the proper protocol would be to ask for permission.  You might be surprised at how often artists will allow use if you take the time to ask.
What most don't like is discovering their work being used without permission, its just kinda rude like stealing anything is rude.  I am answering as an artist who has been plagiarized and had my work stolen if they woulda asked I would have possibly given them the photos, now I am always looking for them to show up....sigh

[popeshawnpaul]

If you download it from the internet and it doesn't have a copyright on it you still can't use it.  Don't take anyone's photos for any reason without asking, from a moral and legal standpoint.

[aaron]

If you want to be safe, look for Creative Commons images/artwork...not usually the best quality but there are some options. Check out their website for an explanation of how each license works. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/

In my experience most images have an attribution license which means you can use it as long as you credit the creator.

There are a bunch of sites that have CC images available too. http://search.creativecommons.org/

If you find something you really like and you're unsure how it's licensed, it's best to ask the owner.