Media Outreach

After almost 3 years of working with churches to develop their websites, I’ve discovered that all churches, big and small, want their content to look the best it possibly can. Generally, the best way to accomplish this is by integrating written and visual content in a manner that is both informative and visually appealing. However, when working on your content, it is important to remember that just because you can put something on your website doesn’t mean that you should.  Today will be the first in a series of posts about copyright infringement, as we discuss what images should and should not be used on your website.

One of the most common infringements that people commit is utilizing images on their website that they do not own the rights to. As search engines have become more and more efficient over the years, it has become remarkably easy to acquire images from the websites that appear in the search results. While saving an image you find online is not a crime, using an image on your website you do not own the rights to violates the rights of party that does own the image. Not only will using these images present potential legal issues for your church, but the morality of taking something that does belong to you goes all the way back to the Old Testament. In short, if it’s not yours and you don’t have permission to use it, don’t.

How then, you might ask, can I find images to use on my website? There are many subscription stock images websites available, such as Shutterstock, that will license you the rights to millions and millions of images. In addition, there are free stock sites as well, such as Stock Xchng. While these might not have quite the selection of a paid stock image service, they nevertheless will provide you with a library of royalty free images. And of course, any images that you or members of your church have taken can be on your website as well. With so many images available through legitimate resources, it does not do well to use images that you do not own the rights to.

The biggest issue I’ve found with copyright infringement is not that people are knowingly and willingly using stolen images on their websites… but rather that a large percentage of people are simply uninformed when it comes to infringement issues .Having seen firsthand the legal issues that can arise from copyright infringement through my previous legal work experience, I can assure you, loyal readers, that it is not a pleasant experience. The purpose of this series of posts is not to scold people who have inadvertently committed copyright infringement, but rather to inform them so that they can make the necessary adjustments. Over the next several weeks, we will continue to explore infringements through different mediums, and discuss how to keep your website both visually appealing and morally sound.

Photo by MikeBlogs