A question about downloading images from Google and using them for work

[Cwilk]

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Izzo......you are correct that you can modify some creative commons pieces but you are not allowed to pass it off as your own or resell it. That's why it costs so much more money on stock sites to use downloaded art or photos on t-shirts or even screensavers. So unless you plan on using these kinds of 'cc' items on ads or collateral in general, it's illegal.

Here's another example: You've decided to create a logo and have simply modified an existing vector art and sold it as an original logo. The client cannot legally copyright or trademark their brand. Another scenario is like the postcards. If you wanted to copy an existing postcard that's even 80 years old, the company that originally produced them for sale has to have not renewed the copyrights and aren't still making $ off the art themselves. Disney is a fantastic example of that. Their copyrights/trademarks are still active.

So once again, it pays off to be original.

[Cwilk]

I also forgot to add. When you go to websites like Flicker to look for CC works, since they allow people under the age if 18 to have accounts it opens up legal problems. If a person under 18 plagiarizes art and uploads it as their own and you download it and use it, you could be in big trouble. In the U.S., anyone under 18 is not allowed to sign a contract including one like a CC-license. It's illegal. So keep that in mind. Stick with stock sites that require extensive contracts with their subscribers.

I also found this article which implies that the CC-licensing that allows free use is for online use only and not for print so you may want to research their licensing more in-depth. http://www.ethicalim.com/internet-ma...on-your-sites/

[Cwilk]

I've been doing more research to better explain what I mean and I found this on the Creative Commons website.

Does using a Creative Commons-licensed work give me all the rights I need?
You should be aware that all of the licenses contain a disclaimer of warranties, so there is no assurance whatsoever that the licensor has all the necessary rights to permit reuse of the licensed work. The disclaimer means that the licensor is not guaranteeing anything about the work, including that she owns the copyright to it, or that she has cleared any uses of third-party content that her work may be based on or incorporate.

[blueocto]

Some quality information shared Cwilk :-)

[Izo]

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Duly noted. =]