Image permissions
It is important to make sure you have the correct permissions before using an image. If you don’t, it can cost your team thousands of pounds.
Images and copyright
Photographs, illustrations and other images will generally be protected by copyright as artistic works. It is important that you have permission to use images when sharing them anywhere.
Generally, the image is owned by the individual who created it or the individual's employer (if they created it at work). The copyright symbol does not have to be present for copyright to exist, so it is best to assume that images you find online (except when using the platforms we list below) are protected by copyright.
Permissions can change, so if you download a 'copyright-free image' online from a source we have not provided, you may find yourself in breach of copyright rules.
The consequences
Queen Mary may be asked to purchase the licence, or we can even be taken to court. If somebody in your team has used an image without permission, your team will be expected to pay the fee (this can be thousands of pounds).
Where can I find images?
Canto
Canto is Queen Mary's digital asset library, where you can find and download all official Queen Mary photography.
When you download an image from Canto, you know that you have all the right permissions, and that everybody in the image has consented to it being taken.
Adobe Free Stock
Adobe Free Stock is a library containing lots of free stock images you can download without a credit limit.
Please check whether the images are AI generated before using them, and avoid them if so. You can exclude AI generated images by using the search filters.
iStock
The Content and Brand team has limited allowance to download stock images from iStock. If you would like to download an image from this platform, please send your request to content@qmul.ac.uk and we will assess whether we are able to download it for you.
Find out more about the imagery we use at Queen Mary.