Copyright Free: How to Filter Your Google Image Results

Finding copyright free images is a challenge, and also essential. We are no strangers to taking advantage of efficiencies, so we are proudly presenting someone else’s handiwork here, for you may find it hugely helpful.

This article in The Chronicle of Higher Education explains how to filter your image search results in Google Search based on rights to reuse. As some of your current courses are moving into a project work phase, you are encouraged to use other people’s digital property responsibly.*

Additionally, you can also use Creative Commons Search service, and to learn more, check out this article.

Despite the disclaimer below, this will assist in narrowing down images that may be copyright-free.

Image by Karen Kleis (hollykl on Flickr)

*No service mentioned here guarantees that the image is free to use. Do not assume that the results displayed in this search portal are under a Creative Commons license.

You should always verify that the work is actually under a Creative Commons license by following the link. Since there is no registration to use a Creative Commons license, Creative Commons has no way to determine what has and hasn’t been placed under the terms of a Creative Commons license. If you are in doubt, you should contact the copyright holder directly, or try to contact the site where you found the content.