4 ways to land yourself in legal trouble when using images

The internet is chock-full of visual content, and it’s all free for the taking, right? You bet your logo it’s not. Here are common transgression areas and how you can avoid getting sued.

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PR and marketing are all about strategic communication, but messaging isn’t about words alone. 

The images communicators use to raise awareness, build their organization’s reputation and position their brand are an important part of any campaign. Images deliver information and convey a particular vibe or tone. They can forge emotional connections with consumers that drive engagement and make messages stick.

However, images are sometimes treated as an afterthought in campaigns, and that can get organizations in trouble. Just as it’s highly unethical to plagiarize writing or fail to attribute information to the correct sources, the same is true for images. 

Here are four common mistakes communicators make in using images, and how to avoid them:   

1. Pulling from search engines

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