Summary: /* Stock images */
[[Image:Imageuse.jpg|630px|thumb|left|Don't let n00b image crediting tactics ruin your geek cred online. Photo by Mike Darnell/[http://www.flickr.com/photos/israeli-art/5257451898/ Flickr]/CC]]
That image you found on the Internet looks so good. You want to post it to Twitter, placard it across your blog, and 'Shop it into the sickest rock show flyer anyone has ever seen. But wait. Are you certain you have the rights to use it ? even if a website states that you can?
Verifying the original source of an image that you want to publish to the internet ? and by "publish" I mean to Facebook, Twitter, a blog or anywhere potentially accessible to the public ? can keep you out of heaps of potential trouble. Algorithms that can find copyrighted content on the internet are getting smarter, and you never know when the next [http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/tag/righthaven/ Righthaven LLC] will pop into existence and start suing the bejesus out of netizens. Plus, crediting an image creator is a great way to scratch their back and motivate them to keep churning out excellent visual content.
Although this how-to can't, won't and doesn't pretend to substitute for legal advice (hey, I have to say that), below are a few ways to find out where an image probably came from.
''This how-to was written by [http://davemosher.com Dave Mosher], a freelance science journalist, Wired contributor, and someone who has made enough image-use goofs to share what he's learned from his mistakes.''
==Finding the Source==
[[Image:Hummingbird.jpg|200px|thumb|left]]
Tracking down an image's source doesn't have to be difficult or time consuming. There are now dozens of reverse image search engines today ? called [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content-based_image_retrieval CBIRs, QBICs or CBVIRs] ? and they're getting smarter every day.
But two search engines, Google Images and TinEye, stand out among competition.
In this how-to, we'll be using [http://www.flickr.com/photos/davemosher/5692274992/ this image] of a hummingbird I took in Costa Rica as an example. It's ripe for abuse because it appeared in a story about [http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/05/hummingbird-tongue-drinking/ how hummingbirds drink] ? and who doesn't like a hummingbird photo? (Hummingbird haters, this is your cue to leave.)
<br clear="all" />
===Google Images===
Google unveiled its [http://images.google.com/ Google Images] reverse-image search in June 2011. The free service allows you to upload an image or paste in the image URL to see where that image appears on the web. Just right click on any image, "Copy Image URL," and it works just like you'd expect a Google search to by presenting a listing of top results.
Yet this approach relies on the company's secretive search algorithms. So while the top result may be the most-linked source on the web, it can be information overload and not help you track down an image's creator. Searching for the hummingbird image, for example, found a [http://bit.ly/xlOi1P handful of sources], including at least three offenders who never asked for permission to use the image. (Naughty, naughty!)
To make Google Images work for you, scope out a few of the most reputable and recognizable websites in the search results and look for credit or copyright information associated with the image. If the information jibes across multiple sites, chances are the original creator is credited. Once you have this information, do some searching of the creator to ask their permission to use the image.
The upside to this is that, if the image is too expensive to use or otherwise off-limits, Google provides similar-looking images in its results that might serve as good substitutes.
'''Pro tip:''' If you're a hardcore Googler and use their Chrome browser, there's even an extension you can download to reverse-search an image from a one-click context menu, no matter where you are on the web.
===TinEye===
If Google Images is a hand grenade, [http://www.tineye.com/ TinEye] is a sniper rifle. When you upload an image or provide a URL, the free service creates a pixel-based fingerprint to check against images crawled from major websites as well as those submitted by users.
TinEye's algorithms are sensitive enough to detect partial matches. For instance, if the image you want to use has no watermark or text credit ? either of which may have been removed ? TinEye can usually see the difference and show you.
The snag with TinEye is that, as of this posting, the service knows of "only" about [http://www.tineye.com/updates?year=2012 2.075 billion images] on the Internet. Contrast this with the web's exponentially increasing store of images. At Flickr alone, users uploaded an average of [http://royal.pingdom.com/2012/01/17/internet-2011-in-numbers/ 4.5 million images every day] in 2011.
What does this mean for you? If the image you want doesn't derive from stock photography or illustrations, archival content or Creative Commons imagery, then TinEye is less likely to return any results. A search for the hummingbird image, for example, [http://www.tineye.com/search/b83bf9a3f8b0f7651a9ec9b4665931751f24b54c returned zero hits] ? yet we know that image appears on Wired.com and other websites.
You can simultaneously track your own images and help improve TinEye's database by registering for free. (Unregistered users' searches expire in 3 days.) If you have a lot of images you want to keep tabs on, follow TinEye's directions on preparing an imagemap and [http://www.tineye.com/imagesubmission submit an application] for their robots to crawl your site.
'''Pro tip:''' TinEye offers [http://www.tineye.com/plugin helpful plugins] for reverse-searching images. Their native plugin is for Firefox, but they offer bookmarklets that can be used with any browser.
===Other services===
A number of other reverse-image searching services are out there, but their databases or techniques pale in comparison to Google Images and TinEye.
However, if you know of any up-and-coming reverse-image search engines, [http://www.wired.com/about/feedback/ let us know]. We would love to add them here.
==Notes on Crediting==
Crediting is the best way to scratch someone's back on the internet, and images are no different. So once you find the source of an image, it's best to err on the side of over-crediting than to include too little.
Below are some best practices for common uses.
===Copyrighted images===
After reverse-image searching, you may learn the image you want is copyrighted. But don't worry, it's not always the end of the line.
Websites of image creators generally provide plenty of contact information. E-mail is generally the most efficient way to outline how you want to use an image, so here is a template for requesting the use of an image:
''Hi (creator),''
''My name is (your name) and I am (relevant occupation or personal description). I really like the image of (image description) that appeared on (website).''
''Assuming you have rights to this image, I'd like to ask your permission to use it for (short description of purpose) with a maximum resolution of (pixel dimensions). I would of course be happy to credit you in any way you see fit ? a text credit on the page, a watermark in the image itself or some other means of crediting.''
''Thanks for your time, and looking forward to hearing from you as soon as possible.''
''Best,''
''(your name)''
Most times, a well-worded and flattering e-mail is enough to win over a creator's permission.
===Creative Commons===
The folks at Creative Commons provide a simple, human-readable way to share images and receive credit for them. Their website hosts a [http://wiki.creativecommons.org/FAQ#How_do_I_properly_attribute_a_Creative_Commons_licensed_work.3F FAQ] on proper crediting, and CC Australia goes into even richer detail on how to credit CC-licensed work in a [http://creativecommons.org.au/content/attributingccmaterials.pdf detailed PDF].
The most thorough way to credit an image is to follow the instructions in the Creative Commons license associated with an image. For example, I just chose a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license for my hummingbird photo. In a few clicks, Creative Commons' website provided a [http://creativecommons.org/choose/results-one?q_1=2&q_1=1&field_commercial=n&field_derivatives=sa&field_jurisdiction=us&field_format=StillImage&field_worktitle=Hummingbird&field_attribute_to_name=Dave+Mosher&field_attribute_to_url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/davemosher/5692274992/&field_sourceurl=&field_morepermissionsurl=http://davemosher.com&lang=en_US&n_questions=3 snippet of attribution code] that's easy to embed just about anywhere.
But that level of detail can get annoying. In general, always name the creator, link to the image source and a link to the CC license. For the hummingbird photo, this is a simple way to credit the work:
''Image by [http://www.flickr.com/photos/davemosher/5692274992/ Dave Mosher]/[http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/ CC-licensed]''
===Stock images===
Most stock image services provide royalty-free images for about a few bucks per high-resolution image.
There's no one-size-fits-all attribution for stock images, so you must check the policies of the service you are using to see if and how you need to credit imagery.
In general, however, a stock photo used for editorial purposes might be attributed as:
''�[stock service]/[username of creator]''
That image you found on the Internet looks so good. You want to post it to Twitter, placard it across your blog, and 'Shop it into the sickest rock show flyer anyone has ever seen. But wait. Are you certain you have the rights to use it ? even if a website states that you can?
Verifying the original source of an image that you want to publish to the internet ? and by "publish" I mean to Facebook, Twitter, a blog or anywhere potentially accessible to the public ? can keep you out of heaps of potential trouble. Algorithms that can find copyrighted content on the internet are getting smarter, and you never know when the next [http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/tag/righthaven/ Righthaven LLC] will pop into existence and start suing the bejesus out of netizens. Plus, crediting an image creator is a great way to scratch their back and motivate them to keep churning out excellent visual content.
Although this how-to can't, won't and doesn't pretend to substitute for legal advice (hey, I have to say that), below are a few ways to find out where an image probably came from.
''This how-to was written by [http://davemosher.com Dave Mosher], a freelance science journalist, Wired contributor, and someone who has made enough image-use goofs to share what he's learned from his mistakes.''
==Finding the Source==
[[Image:Hummingbird.jpg|200px|thumb|left]]
Tracking down an image's source doesn't have to be difficult or time consuming. There are now dozens of reverse image search engines today ? called [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content-based_image_retrieval CBIRs, QBICs or CBVIRs] ? and they're getting smarter every day.
But two search engines, Google Images and TinEye, stand out among competition.
In this how-to, we'll be using [http://www.flickr.com/photos/davemosher/5692274992/ this image] of a hummingbird I took in Costa Rica as an example. It's ripe for abuse because it appeared in a story about [http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/05/hummingbird-tongue-drinking/ how hummingbirds drink] ? and who doesn't like a hummingbird photo? (Hummingbird haters, this is your cue to leave.)
<br clear="all" />
===Google Images===
Google unveiled its [http://images.google.com/ Google Images] reverse-image search in June 2011. The free service allows you to upload an image or paste in the image URL to see where that image appears on the web. Just right click on any image, "Copy Image URL," and it works just like you'd expect a Google search to by presenting a listing of top results.
Yet this approach relies on the company's secretive search algorithms. So while the top result may be the most-linked source on the web, it can be information overload and not help you track down an image's creator. Searching for the hummingbird image, for example, found a [http://bit.ly/xlOi1P handful of sources], including at least three offenders who never asked for permission to use the image. (Naughty, naughty!)
To make Google Images work for you, scope out a few of the most reputable and recognizable websites in the search results and look for credit or copyright information associated with the image. If the information jibes across multiple sites, chances are the original creator is credited. Once you have this information, do some searching of the creator to ask their permission to use the image.
The upside to this is that, if the image is too expensive to use or otherwise off-limits, Google provides similar-looking images in its results that might serve as good substitutes.
'''Pro tip:''' If you're a hardcore Googler and use their Chrome browser, there's even an extension you can download to reverse-search an image from a one-click context menu, no matter where you are on the web.
===TinEye===
If Google Images is a hand grenade, [http://www.tineye.com/ TinEye] is a sniper rifle. When you upload an image or provide a URL, the free service creates a pixel-based fingerprint to check against images crawled from major websites as well as those submitted by users.
TinEye's algorithms are sensitive enough to detect partial matches. For instance, if the image you want to use has no watermark or text credit ? either of which may have been removed ? TinEye can usually see the difference and show you.
The snag with TinEye is that, as of this posting, the service knows of "only" about [http://www.tineye.com/updates?year=2012 2.075 billion images] on the Internet. Contrast this with the web's exponentially increasing store of images. At Flickr alone, users uploaded an average of [http://royal.pingdom.com/2012/01/17/internet-2011-in-numbers/ 4.5 million images every day] in 2011.
What does this mean for you? If the image you want doesn't derive from stock photography or illustrations, archival content or Creative Commons imagery, then TinEye is less likely to return any results. A search for the hummingbird image, for example, [http://www.tineye.com/search/b83bf9a3f8b0f7651a9ec9b4665931751f24b54c returned zero hits] ? yet we know that image appears on Wired.com and other websites.
You can simultaneously track your own images and help improve TinEye's database by registering for free. (Unregistered users' searches expire in 3 days.) If you have a lot of images you want to keep tabs on, follow TinEye's directions on preparing an imagemap and [http://www.tineye.com/imagesubmission submit an application] for their robots to crawl your site.
'''Pro tip:''' TinEye offers [http://www.tineye.com/plugin helpful plugins] for reverse-searching images. Their native plugin is for Firefox, but they offer bookmarklets that can be used with any browser.
===Other services===
A number of other reverse-image searching services are out there, but their databases or techniques pale in comparison to Google Images and TinEye.
However, if you know of any up-and-coming reverse-image search engines, [http://www.wired.com/about/feedback/ let us know]. We would love to add them here.
==Notes on Crediting==
Crediting is the best way to scratch someone's back on the internet, and images are no different. So once you find the source of an image, it's best to err on the side of over-crediting than to include too little.
Below are some best practices for common uses.
===Copyrighted images===
After reverse-image searching, you may learn the image you want is copyrighted. But don't worry, it's not always the end of the line.
Websites of image creators generally provide plenty of contact information. E-mail is generally the most efficient way to outline how you want to use an image, so here is a template for requesting the use of an image:
''Hi (creator),''
''My name is (your name) and I am (relevant occupation or personal description). I really like the image of (image description) that appeared on (website).''
''Assuming you have rights to this image, I'd like to ask your permission to use it for (short description of purpose) with a maximum resolution of (pixel dimensions). I would of course be happy to credit you in any way you see fit ? a text credit on the page, a watermark in the image itself or some other means of crediting.''
''Thanks for your time, and looking forward to hearing from you as soon as possible.''
''Best,''
''(your name)''
Most times, a well-worded and flattering e-mail is enough to win over a creator's permission.
===Creative Commons===
The folks at Creative Commons provide a simple, human-readable way to share images and receive credit for them. Their website hosts a [http://wiki.creativecommons.org/FAQ#How_do_I_properly_attribute_a_Creative_Commons_licensed_work.3F FAQ] on proper crediting, and CC Australia goes into even richer detail on how to credit CC-licensed work in a [http://creativecommons.org.au/content/attributingccmaterials.pdf detailed PDF].
The most thorough way to credit an image is to follow the instructions in the Creative Commons license associated with an image. For example, I just chose a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license for my hummingbird photo. In a few clicks, Creative Commons' website provided a [http://creativecommons.org/choose/results-one?q_1=2&q_1=1&field_commercial=n&field_derivatives=sa&field_jurisdiction=us&field_format=StillImage&field_worktitle=Hummingbird&field_attribute_to_name=Dave+Mosher&field_attribute_to_url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/davemosher/5692274992/&field_sourceurl=&field_morepermissionsurl=http://davemosher.com&lang=en_US&n_questions=3 snippet of attribution code] that's easy to embed just about anywhere.
But that level of detail can get annoying. In general, always name the creator, link to the image source and a link to the CC license. For the hummingbird photo, this is a simple way to credit the work:
''Image by [http://www.flickr.com/photos/davemosher/5692274992/ Dave Mosher]/[http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/ CC-licensed]''
===Stock images===
Most stock image services provide royalty-free images for about a few bucks per high-resolution image.
There's no one-size-fits-all attribution for stock images, so you must check the policies of the service you are using to see if and how you need to credit imagery.
In general, however, a stock photo used for editorial purposes might be attributed as:
''�[stock service]/[username of creator]''
Source: http://feeds.wired.com/~r/howtowiki/~3/_bitGsz6fGI/Figure_Out_Where_a_Photo_Originated
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