Guidelines for use of photos for documents, presentations and web
When putting together newsletters, creating events or putting together Powerpoint presentations, photos and other illustrations often significantly enhance the communication and experience.
However, as an active member of IDA, it is very important that you ensure that you have the right to use the photos that you select for:
- websites
- newsletters
- social media
- printing material
- powerpoint presentations that are subsequently shared via email or links.
It's quick and easy to search for great photos via Google – and save them to your computer and then upload them for use.
It is also tempting to download photos from public sites such as Danmarks Radio Dr.dk or TV2 at tv2.dk – or government sites.
Our advice: Don't do it.
One thing applies to the above-mentioned web services, media and authorities: We are not allowed to use their photos.
Most photos on the Internet are covered by a copyright for the photograph. The copyright may belong to a media outlet, a company, or an organisation.
Or the copyright may belong to the photographer, whether it is a professional photographer or a private person who took the photo.
Therefore, if you use a photograph without express permission from the photographer or organisation – and distribute it publicly to other people, you have violated the Copyright Act – and may therefore be charged an amount for illegal use of the image material.
This also applies even if you have used a photo for a presentation for a lecture, after which you save the presentation as a PDF - and share a link with the participants afterwards.
No matter how few people you share it with, the link is secret, hidden behind a login – and the recipients are IDA members, copyright has been violated. As a result, IDA can be fined.
How do you avoid violating copyright by using a photo?
The question, of course, is how you avoid using a photo you don't have the rights to.
We recommend:
- Look in IDA's online archive of photos for free use (Royalty-free images). The system is called Skyfish – and the archive can be found here.
- Download free photos from these two sites, where all photos are free to use – although please note the name of the photographer when using them. It's good practice. Unsplash.com and Pexels.com
- Download photos from the Colourbox site. It requires login – but photos are very cheap. Under DKK 10 per photo.
- Take pictures yourself
- Make an agreement with the photographer, media outlet, company or organisation about the terms for using their images.
If you follow the advice above, you eliminate the risk of violating copyright when using a photo or other illustration.
Copyright infringement charges
As a result of the above guidelines, IDA has made it clearer what steps we can take in the event of a violation of the guidelines.
If IDA receives a bill for a clear and obvious violation of the copyright of a photo or illustration, we forward the bill to the community or unit that has uploaded and used the copyrighted photo or a document (typically a PowerPoint presentation or PDF) in which a protected photo has been used.
Information for presenters at IDA events
The above guidelines also apply to external presenters at IDA events if their Powerpoint presentations or PDF documents are subsequently to be made publicly available on an IDA website or via a link in an IDA newsletter.
It is the responsibility of the IDA organiser – i.e. the community or unit – to inform the presenter about IDA's policy for the use of images in presentations or other material – and to ensure that that policy is followed.
IDA will therefore charge an amount from the community/unit if IDA is charged a bill for a clear and obvious violation of the Copyright Act - committed by a presenter.
If the presenter uses copyrighted photos – for example, a photo from a media outlet and does not have an agreement with the media outlet/photographer – in a document, it will not be posted on an IDA website or linked to via an IDA newsletter.
Copenhagen January 2020
AI-generated images
When using AI-generated images at events and websites on ida.dk, these images must always be watermarked to show that they are AI-generated images. You can do this yourself in an image editing program or ask your network coordinator for help.