Using photographs on a business website

A photograph found online is not automatically free for commercial use. Identify the copyright owner or a reliable licensing source and check the permission for the intended website use. Giving credit does not, by itself, replace the need for an appropriate licence. ^[1]

Review restrictions on advertising, modification, duration and use by agencies or group companies. Where people are identifiable, consider privacy and data protection issues separately from copyright. Keep the licence and the image version together so a later website redesign does not lose the permission record.

Identify the source and rights holder before uploading

Record where the photograph came from and who supplied it. A search engine result, social post or competitor website is not a licence. The photographer or another rights holder may control copyright, subject to the relevant creation and transfer arrangements. IPO guidance explains why the circumstances of creation matter to ownership. ^[1]

If a supplier or employee provides the image, ask what authority supports the proposed use. A person can possess a file without having permission to license it commercially. Keep the evidence rather than relying on a message saying it should be fine. Where ownership cannot be established, consider a properly licensed alternative before publication.

Read the licence for the actual website activity

Check commercial use, advertising, audience, duration and territory. A licence for editorial use may not cover a sales page. Permission for one company may not extend to another group entity or agency. The right to use another person's IP depends on the terms granted. ^[2] Match those terms to the planned page and distribution channels.

Review limits on cropping, filters, overlays and other changes. A website redesign can introduce a new use even where the photograph was previously licensed. Ask whether the image may appear in paid advertising, email campaigns or downloadable materials as well as the website. Do not assume one purchase permits every future channel.

Distinguish copyright from permissions concerning people

Where people are identifiable, consider privacy, data protection and any relevant model or event permissions separately. A copyright licence from the photographer does not necessarily answer those issues. The context of use can matter, particularly if the image suggests endorsement or associates a person with a sensitive topic.

Check the information supplied by a stock provider about releases and restrictions, without treating it as an unlimited guarantee. For commissioned staff photographs, explain the intended publication and keep appropriate records. If someone leaves the business or objects to continued use, assess the actual rights and circumstances rather than assuming employment status alone settles the answer.

Make commissioned photography rights explicit

Agree the deliverables, permitted uses, editing rights and whether ownership or a licence is intended. Payment for a shoot does not automatically establish unlimited copyright ownership. ^[1] Identify whether the photographer may use the images in a portfolio and how confidential locations or unreleased products are handled.

Specify which files are delivered and the required quality or format. Raw files are not necessarily included merely because finished photographs are commissioned. If future agencies need access, address that permission and practical delivery. The business should know what it can reuse without returning to the photographer for every routine update.

Keep an image-rights record with the content

Assign an asset reference and retain the licence, invoice, source and approved uses. Link the photograph to the pages or campaigns where it appears. A content editor should be able to check permission without searching an old employee's mailbox. Keep the actual licence version where provider terms may change over time.

Record expiry or other review triggers. If a licence ends or the image is replaced, check derivative thumbnails, social previews and downloadable copies under the business's control. Removing the main image from one page may not remove every active use. Coordinate the content and asset records so changes are applied consistently.

Respond to a rights complaint with evidence

Preserve the complaint, image, publication history and licence before making changes that could obscure the record. Verify the claimant and assess the alleged use. Obtain advice where needed rather than paying an unverified demand or dismissing it solely because the image was widely available online.

Stopping further use may be part of the response, but it does not automatically resolve a claim about past publication. Keep communications factual and avoid unsupported admissions. The relevant documents should establish what permission existed and how the business used the image.

Read Copyright in commissioned design work for commissioned creative work. IP ownership review can help review ownership and licence evidence for website imagery, with privacy or dispute advice scoped separately where the particular photograph raises those issues.

Illustrative scenario

A business buys a stock image for its website, then asks an agency to use it in a paid social campaign. The original licence is checked for that additional use and for agency access. The team does not assume that one purchase permits every future channel or modification.

Preparation checklist

• Record the image source and rights holder.
• Keep the licence, purchase evidence and required credits.
• Check commercial channels, editing and duration limits.
• Review images of clients, employees or other identifiable people.