A Quick Guide to Using Pictures of Famous People Legally
Using images of people that are well-known and widely appreciated might seem like a good option for content. However, you should do it mindfully to avoid potential legal issues. To discover what you should keep in mind while working with famous people’s pictures, read further. This article explains the copyright aspects of using celebrity visuals, be it stock pictures from online libraries like Depositphotos or images you took yourself. It will also help you figure out the difference between copyright, right of publicity, and purpose of use.
How to use photos of famous people on social media
To avoid potential legal issues when using pictures of famous people in your creative content, you need to pay attention to several critical aspects.
Copyright
Copyright laws protect the original works of creators, including photographs. If you’re using a copyrighted photo without permission from the copyright holder (most often, this is the photographer or their agency), it can lead to legal consequences, such as fees, publicity claims, and overall impact on business relationships.
Although copyright laws can vary among different countries, most of them follow the Berne Convention treaty that sets and describes basic copyright standards. For example, under the Berne Convention, copyright protection is automatic upon the creation of a work, meaning there’s no need to register it formally to receive legal protection. To avoid copyright violation, follow the standards listed in the treaty and check if the country where you’re operating has signed it.
Right of publicity
The right of publicity grants people control over the commercial use of their name, likeness, or persona. So, even if you are the person who has taken a photo, you technically have rights to it, but you may still need permission from the person in the picture. This is especially relevant for cases when you use such visuals for commercial purposes. Publishing images without such permission can be considered a violation of the right of publicity and result in legal disputes.
Purpose of use
It’s also important to consider the purpose of using celebrity photos when you’re working with them. For instance, reusing images from a celebrity’s personal Instagram account without their written permission is generally not legal and could violate copyright and publicity rights.
What’s more, using celebrity photos for a brand’s promotion can also pose legal risks. While you do this by publishing a caricature drawn by your in-house artists, your brand doesn’t violate any rights. However, when you’re using celebrity images for brand promotion, you need to receive their explicit consent. Without such consent, using their images could be considered misleading and cause legal consequences.
FAQ: What qualifies someone as famous online?
A person is considered famous online if they have a significant following and influence on social media platforms, blogs, or other digital channels. Such people can be content creators, opinion leaders, or experts in their niche. They aren’t necessarily widely recognized offline but have a large and loyal community on the Internet.
FAQ: How can you become a famous person?
To do this, you need to showcase and develop a unique talent, skill or personality that resonates with a large audience. You can do this by using social media or by trying to get into the entertainment industry.
Where to find high-quality pictures of famous people
One of the safest and legal ways to use pictures of famous people in your content is to download them from stock websites. Depositphotos is one of the largest stock content marketplaces on the web that features over 250 million royalty-free files. Among its content, you can find high-quality photos, vectors, illustrations, videos, sound effects, and music tracks. Some of the visuals are free to use, while some require you to purchase an affordable subscription for watermark-free download. You can sort visuals by orientation, number of people, color, point of view, and other helpful filters.
Depositphotos offers three types of licenses: Standard, Extended, and Editorial. The Standard License allows you to use a downloaded file for personal and commercial purposes with a print run of up to 500,000 copies. The important aspect here is that you cannot use the visuals as a major detail for items that will be sold or distributed.
The Extended License doesn’t have such limitations. You can create as many copies of a visual as you want and use it on posters, postcards, cups, T-shirts, and other materials. Lastly, the Editorial License prohibits file use for commercial or advertising purposes. You can use such files only in publishing materials, including non-commercial presentations, books, blog articles, etc.
FAQ: What defines you as a celebrity?
Most often, it’s the recognition and attention from the public. However, a person can be a celebrity in one industry (such as sports) and at the same time be completely unknown to people outside of this industry.
FAQ: What is the description of a famous person?
A famous person often has a big fanbase, a significant presence in the media, or a large following on social media platforms. They are also most likely praised for their achievements, talents, or appearances.
To sum up
Adding celebrity images to your content can help make your brand more appealing and relatable to certain target audiences. However, this can also cause legal consequences if you don’t know how to use such visuals appropriately. To avoid that, always check out the copyright rules of your country and opt for images featured on reliable sources, such as stock content websites.
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