If you plan to use photos, logos or images in your design, you need to be aware of any Copyright issues and restrictions that may be involved.
What Is Copyright?
Copyright is a form of protection provided by the law to the authors of “original works of authorship.” Works are protected in all 160 countries as well as various other laws such as the US copyright act. This is applied to all images from the time it was created, a photo or image is automatically protected by copyright.
Images You Produce From Scratch
If you are the creator of the work, then you are the copyright owner and can use the work how ever you wish. We suggest this method whenever possible.
Do NOT Copy Images From Websites!
A majority of the images on the web are copyrighted. You need permission first in order to use images that are not yours. Copyright Trolls do exist.
Model And Property Releases
You may need a release which is a written agreement between you and the person you are photographing, or the person who owns the property you are photographing or if the image includes a product logo/trademark. The release will protect you from any lawsuits that a person might file for claims such as defamation and invasion of privacy. There are exceptions like satirical/humorous images or using images of certain public figures. Before using these images do research. Here is some helpful info.