Then I'll give you my free opinion, for whatever that's worth. You might want to stick with the conservative approach, that is to not copy posted photos without the user's express written consent. When it comes to approving ads like the current one for Cozumel, it's a good idea to have express written consent to use each of the photos you select. Nothing fancy: a simple e-mail to the photographer like "I'd like to use one of your photos for an upcoming Scubaboard trip poster, is that OK", followed by a "Sure" would probably be enough "paper trail" at least for amateur photogs and this sort of use of their photos.
A basic rule should apply here ... if it isn't yours, ask first before using. Seems like simple common courtesy.
I have either created or overseen the creation of more online education classes than I can count, and they have featured thousands of photos in total. I assure you that using a photo for which you do not have permission can have serious consequences. I know a LDS whose web designer used a photo found on a web site for the LDS's web site, and they were subsequently sued for a healthy amount.
The fact that you found it freely available on a web site somewhere does not mean that the web site you got it from had permission to use it. If you use such an image, you may still be in violation, even if you thought it was OK. (It can be tough.) One of the first web sites I ever made, more than 15 years ago, featured a great picture of Walt Whitman that I took from a site dedicated to that poet. I linked to that site, and one day I followed that link to find that the picture was gone, and in its place was a formal apology for using the picture without permission. They identified the owners of the shot, clearly in response to a threat of a lawsuit. I took mine down quickly.
The problem is that people publish work on the web for which they do not have permission all the time. Youtube just had to publish instructions on copyright violations for that reason. It makes it very hard to be sure you are OK, even if you see the same shot in 50 web sites.
If I look for an image using something like Google images, it usually takes a very, very long time to find one I can use. If I see that the name of a host site ends in .com, I don't even bother to look at it. Sources like .gov are much more likely to get you something you can use. Almost any image in Wikipedia is OK, because they have the same problem. Click on the image and you will find whatever restrictions are in place for its use.
When I find images I like without clear directions, I always ask. You can run into some gold mines that way. For example, I found a web site that had a ton of great marine life shots, and when I contacted the owner of the site, I was given blanket permission for any photo provided that I identified the photographer and the site whenever I used it. Most people who are not professionals selling their work are glad to have the publicity.
eepwalla:
