Explain the potential legal implications of using and editing graphical images

How to identify the ownership of an image

To identify ownership of an image is that you have to look out for copyright sign on an image. There are many ways to identify ownership on an image; some of the way to identify the ownership of an image is to look out for copyright information detail to check if it is copyright free image and can be downloaded by anyone. Image should be also should be downloaded from the original site because site like Google images doesn’t give any in-depth details about copyright. Images now and then have the name of the owner or big copyright logo masked in to an image also it could have a small copyright symbol bottom of the image but some cases it doesn’t have this so you have to look in details to find the copyright images.

What is meant by copyright?

Copyright is like a permission given to an owner of image to be only used by them, unless authorized by the owner. Owner has all the right of an image and it is usually for a short time and will be no longer copyright image.  When images or other items are copyright protected this mean that no can use it, unless authorized by the owner.  This mean that if you use an image or something that is copyright, then you will be breaking the law and will be fined and put in prison but there is a way you can use a copyright protected image and that is getting owners permission or giving credits to the owner.

Copyright is where somebody has the right to the copy of the creation, normally for a limited time only. Copyright is a law and therefore is illegal to be broken, however you are able to copy an image as long as credited is given to the creator and you are not using it for money. You can only copyright a physical creation and not an idea.

What is meant by copyright free?

Copyright free images can use by anyone. For example,  http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/. This site allows you to use any images for educational purpose but if you want an image on a product and you will be making money from the image then you need to contact the owner asking if you can use the image and usually you have to give some of the profit you make from using the pictures.

How to gain permission to use an image?  

To gain a permission to use an image you need to contact the image owner and asking for permission to use the image, usually you going to have to pay for the image, unless you are using it for like educational purpose.

What happens if you break the copyright laws?

There are 4 main/common sentences for breaking the law and this are:  Fines, Jail, Monetary Damages and Community Service and Education.

Community Service and Education

These sentences are usually for young offenders and the sentence are community service and education about copyright law. The hour of community service is depends on the damage the offenders caused and they usually ask the offender to have copyright education in school. And in some case young offender can even get fines and jailed. For example a teenager from Arizona had sentences of £3,250 fine, 200 hours of community service, and a 3-month jail term.

Monetary Damages

Monetary damages are when the owner can charge you with the loss that he made from you breaking the copyright law; only if you found guilty.  This mean that the owner can charges you with the loss that the owner made on an item that was sold by you without copyright.  For example, owner can charge you any amount he wants by proving it.  This means that owner can charge you 1 million, only if he can prove it.

Fines

If you break the copyright law you are most likely have to pay big amounts of fine this are usually calculated on the value of the work that you have copied. For example, you might have copied two different images from an author without his concern. This means that you going to have to pay for the both images value. So, Image 1 might have a value of £1000 and image 2 might have value of £500 and you going to have to pay for the total and that will be £1500 of fines and plus you might even get jailed.  

Jail

Jail sentences for the copyright law breakers

Peer to peer convicts:  maximum sentences of 3 years

Distributors:  up to 5 year’s first offence and up to 10 years for constant offences