Image rights, credits and reuse

Separate access from permission

A high-resolution image available online may be easy to download without being free to reuse. Begin on the item record and locate its Rights and Access, Rights Advisory, license or terms-of-use statement. Then identify who created the underlying work, who made the reproduction, who supplied the file and what use you propose. Each fact can affect the analysis.

Do not assume that repository ownership of a physical object includes copyright, or that a repository can grant rights it does not hold. The Library of Congress explains that it generally cannot give permission for collection material whose copyright belongs to someone else. A statement such as “no known restrictions” describes available information; it is not the same as a guarantee that no rights exist.

Read the item-level status precisely

Distinguish public-domain status, Creative Commons licenses, repository permissions, donor restrictions and unknown status. A Creative Commons license must be followed according to its exact conditions. CC0 indicates a rights waiver for the designated asset or data, while attribution may still be useful for source transparency. A general open-access program may cover some assets and metadata but not every item on the institution’s website.

Check territorial and time considerations when a project will circulate internationally. Also consider privacy, publicity, trademark, contractual and culturally sensitive-material concerns, which can exist independently of copyright. When the status or proposed use is consequential or unclear, consult the rightsholder, repository or qualified legal counsel; a general research guide cannot decide a specific legal question.

Request permission with the use defined

When permission is needed, identify the item precisely and describe format, audience, territory, duration, print run or expected reach, languages, promotional use and whether alterations are planned. Ask for the required credit line, fees, delivery specifications and any approval process. Keep the response and agreement in writing.

Record deadlines and restrictions in the project’s asset log. A license for one edition, language or channel may not cover a website, social campaign, reprint or commercial product. If permission is denied or cannot be resolved, select a documented alternative rather than publishing first and attempting clearance later.

Credit the source and preserve the decision

A useful credit identifies the work, creator when known, collection or repository, stable object identifier, and license or required rights line. Follow the institution’s exact credit wording where supplied. Credit and citation serve different purposes: credit acknowledges the source and rights information, while a citation lets a reader retrieve and evaluate the record.

Store the downloaded file with its item URL, access date, rights statement, license version, permission correspondence and final credit. Take a dated capture of rights information when the project requires an audit trail, because collection records can change. Recheck status before a later reuse rather than assuming the earlier decision covers a new context.

Working checklist

Use this as a session checklist. Ticks are saved only in this browser; download a worksheet to keep a portable record.

What to record before you leave

• The underlying work, creator and creation date
• The source copy and repository terms
• Intended territory, format, audience and publication date

Compare with

Current copyright law, contract terms and privacy or cultural stewardship considerations.

A supportable conclusion

The reuse basis is documented for the exact work and use, and credit, permission and access conditions are not conflated.

Citation structure

Creator; title or description; date; collection and identifier; repository; rights or permission note.