{"id":9188,"date":"2026-06-01T02:28:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T00:28:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/?post_type=manual_kb&#038;p=9188"},"modified":"2026-06-01T02:28:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T00:28:09","slug":"copyright-and-using-images-downloaded-from-the-internet","status":"publish","type":"manual_kb","link":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/copyright-and-using-images-downloaded-from-the-internet\/","title":{"rendered":"Copyright and using images downloaded from the internet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"translation-block translation-block-merged\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Images published on the internet are protected by copyright law in the same way as other creative works. This means they cannot be freely used without proper permission or a legal basis that allows their use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Understanding these rules is important to avoid legal and licensing issues when using graphics online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_86 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/copyright-and-using-images-downloaded-from-the-internet\/#How_copyright_applies_to_online_images\" >How copyright applies to online images<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/copyright-and-using-images-downloaded-from-the-internet\/#When_images_can_be_used\" >When images can be used<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/copyright-and-using-images-downloaded-from-the-internet\/#Free_and_legal_image_sources\" >Free and legal image sources<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/copyright-and-using-images-downloaded-from-the-internet\/#Creative_Commons_and_public_licenses\" >Creative Commons and public licenses<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/copyright-and-using-images-downloaded-from-the-internet\/#When_permission_is_required\" >When permission is required<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/copyright-and-using-images-downloaded-from-the-internet\/#Practical_implications\" >Practical implications<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/copyright-and-using-images-downloaded-from-the-internet\/#Summary\" >Summary<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_copyright_applies_to_online_images\"><\/span>How copyright applies to online images<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div id=\"mybox-3831323702\" class=\"mybox-content mybox-entity-placement\"><div class=\"early-access-banner-inpost\">\r\n  <div class=\"banner-left-inpost\">\r\n    <div class=\"icon-box-inpost\">\r\n      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/square-info-icon.svg\" alt=\"Info\">\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"text-box-inpost\">\r\n      <span class=\"label-inpost\"><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Early access<\/span><\/span>\r\n      <h4><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Still need help?<\/span><\/h4>\r\n      <p><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Contact our customer service team.<\/span><\/p>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"banner-right-inpost\">\r\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/panel.mybox.com\/helpdesk2\/v\/list\/\" class=\"banner-button-inpost\"><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Message us<\/span><\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"translation-block translation-block-merged\"><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most images found on websites, search engines, or social media are protected by copyright by default.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This means:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>the author owns the rights to the image<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>usage requires permission or a valid license<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>downloading an image does not grant usage rights<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Using copyrighted images without permission may be considered a violation of copyright law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_images_can_be_used\"><\/span>When images can be used<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An image can be used legally if:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>the author has given permission<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>it is licensed for reuse (for example, Creative Commons)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>it is available in a public domain library<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>the use is allowed under specific legal exceptions (depending on jurisdiction)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Free_and_legal_image_sources\"><\/span>Free and legal image sources<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are platforms that provide images with clear usage rights. Common examples include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/pixabay.com<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/pl-pl\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/pl-pl\/<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/unsplash.com<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These platforms offer images that can typically be used freely, often including commercial use, but each image may still have specific license conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Creative_Commons_and_public_licenses\"><\/span>Creative Commons and public licenses<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some images are shared under Creative Commons licenses, which define how they can be used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Depending on the license type, requirements may include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>attribution to the author<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>restrictions on commercial use<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>limitations on modifications<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is important to always check the specific license terms for each image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_permission_is_required\"><\/span>When permission is required<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If an image is not clearly marked as free to use or licensed for reuse, you should:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>contact the author directly<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>request written permission<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>verify usage rights before publication<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Assuming permission without confirmation can lead to legal issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Practical_implications\"><\/span>Practical implications<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When using images online:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>always verify the source and license<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>avoid using images found through random search results without checking rights<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>prefer official stock libraries or licensed resources<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This reduces legal risk and ensures proper attribution when required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Summary\"><\/span>Summary<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Images found on the internet are usually protected by copyright and cannot be used without permission or a valid license. To use graphics legally, you must verify usage rights or rely on trusted free image libraries that clearly define licensing conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","manualknowledgebasecat":[42],"manual_kb_tag":[5853,5854,5855,5856,5857,5858,5859,5860,5861,5862],"class_list":["post-9188","manual_kb","type-manual_kb","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","manualknowledgebasecat-miscellaneous","manual_kb_tag-copyright-law","manual_kb_tag-image-copyright","manual_kb_tag-online-images","manual_kb_tag-image-licensing","manual_kb_tag-image-rights","manual_kb_tag-copyright-infringement","manual_kb_tag-copyright-permission","manual_kb_tag-usage-rights","manual_kb_tag-licensed-images","manual_kb_tag-free-images"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb\/9188","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/manual_kb"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb\/9188\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9189,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb\/9188\/revisions\/9189"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9188"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"manualknowledgebasecat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manualknowledgebasecat?post=9188"},{"taxonomy":"manual_kb_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb_tag?post=9188"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}