Using images without permission can lead to DMCA takedown notices, lawsuits, and unexpected licensing fees. Whether you're a blogger, designer, or marketer, knowing how to verify image copyright is an essential skill.
Why Image Copyright Matters
Every image published online is automatically protected by copyright law. Just because an image appears in Google Images or Pinterest doesn't mean you can use it freely. Using copyrighted images without permission can result in:
- Legal penalties — Copyright holders can sue for statutory damages up to $150,000 per work
- Platform penalties — Your content may be removed from social media, blogs, or video platforms
- Reputation damage — Being called out for image theft can harm your brand
How to Verify Image Copyright
1. Look for Copyright Notices and Watermarks
The fastest way to check copyright status is to examine the image for visible indicators. A © symbol provides 100% certainty that the image is intended to be protected under copyright law. Watermarks—semi-transparent logos or inscriptions along the corners or background—are also clear signals of copyright protection.
2. Examine EXIF and Metadata
Some image creators embed crucial information about their images into the file's metadata (also known as EXIF data). On Windows, just right-click on the image and select "Properties", then click the "Details" tab to view metadata. In macOS, open it in Preview, select "Show Inspector" from the Tools menu, click the ⓘ icon, and check the EXIF tab. You can often find the name of the copyright owner and even a full copyright notice here.
3. Use Reverse Image Search
If you still can't find details of the image owner, Google's reverse image search is a useful tool for identifying an image's source and potential copyright holder. If you work with a large volume of images and would like to regularly look for sources with even higher efficiency, you could consider ImageCopyrightChecker's AI-powered tool.
4. Identify the License Type
Look for these common license indicators:
- All Rights Reserved — The default copyright status. You need explicit permission from the copyright holder.
- Creative Commons (CC) — Free to use with certain conditions, such as attribution or non-commercial use only.
- CC0 / Public Domain — Completely free to use for any purpose, no attribution required.
- Royalty-Free — Not free. It means you pay once and can use the image multiple times without additional fees.
Ready to Check Your Images?
Upload your images to our copyright checker tool and get instant AI-powered analysis of copyright risks, source matches, and usage recommendations. New users get 5 free credits on sign in.
