The image tab that is displayed on Google every time we perform a search offers us millions of results: graphic content of all kinds and of all possible sizes and qualities. Everything at our disposal. But beware: not all of those images are free to use, so it's important to know how to find unlicensed google photos.
Depending on what use we intend to give these images, this point may be more or less important. If we are only going to download photos for private use, there is no problem. But it is different if we are going to use them to publish on websites, blogs and other Internet sites. Or if we are going to use them for commercial purposes. In such cases, one must be very attentive to the Legal issues.
The Copyright That defend intellectual property should not only concern us when downloading music or movies from the Internet, but also affect other content, such as photos and images that we find in Google searches. Not everything on the Internet is free.
Image license types
Basically, there are three types of image license that we must know:
Public domain
They are contents whose copyright protection period has expired, therefore, they can be used without having to pay anything or request permission from anyone, for the use that is desired.
copyrighted
These images are fully protected and are the property of the author or the person to whom their exploitation has been transferred. Generally, they can be recognized because they are accompanied by the © icon next to the name of the image, or they are accompanied by a text that specifies their condition as private material.*
(*) In some cases, copyrighted images can be used simply by requesting permission from their owner.
Creative Commons
This is a type of license that is located halfway between the previous two. It was created specifically for the Internet. There are different types of Creative Commons licenses based on a series of criteria such as the obligation to acknowledge authorship, the possibility of commercial use or not, permission or not to transform the original image or create derivative works or not maintaining the same license.
Images for free use on Google
When searching for Google photos without a license, the search engine itself offers us a practical filter. A system that is going to be really useful if we are looking for images and illustrations to use in a blog, an e-commerce website or any other site.
When we get the results of a Google search, we have to click on "Images" and then click on the button «More tools». In this way, under the images tab, four options will appear to filter the photos:
- Size: any size, large, medium, icons.
- Color: any color, black and white, transparent, color palette…
- Type: any type, clip art, line art, GIF.
- Date: any date, last 24 hours, last week, last month, last year.
- Rights of use: everything, Creative Commons licenses, commercial licenses and others.
It is in this last section, that of "Rights Of Use", where we will be able to filter the results. Applying this filter is very useful, although it must be taken into account that it is not an infallible method. Sometimes, Google "sneaks" protected images that may appear as free to use, so it doesn't hurt to carry out a prior check before using it. It is usually enough to access the original publication page and see if the website has a Creative Commons label or not.
Image banks
If we want to use images for any type of purpose without worrying about incurring in any kind of illegality, the best thing we can do is resort to a free use image bank.
There is no need to worry about how to find Google photos without a license: on these websites we will be able to access thousands of photos and illustrations that can be used without paying anything. We do have, however, the option of indicating who the author is (usually a text is included html for this purpose) and the possibility of rewarding the author with a small voluntary donation. Here are some of the most recommended image banks:
Pexels
A great site where you can find high definition images signed by professional photographers. All the photos we found in Pexels They are offered under the CC0 license, that is, free of rights, so they can be used, changed and distributed without copyright conflicts.
Link: Pexels
Pixabay
Another great alternative to get quality photos and the most varied themes: Pixabay In addition to filtering the images by type of license, we can also do it by size and resolution, depending on the destination we want to give them.
Link: Pixabay
Unsplash
As much or more popular than the two previous websites, Unsplash It is a place where we will find thousands of quality images and of all subjects. It offers a practical search engine and different download options.
Link: Unsplash