copyright
- Note type: 🍂Fleeting Note
Not really. You are literally taking somebody's content that they own the copyright to (assuming they made it) and are using it without their permission. The best practice is to ask. https://lifehacker.com/5992419/the-best-ways-to-be-sure-youre-legally-using-online-photos.
Depending on your host or who any DMCA complaints are sent to, it could cost you your host or even worse.
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Not unless they're specifically labeled CC0, and even then, tread carefully. There have been instances where a person stole images and posted them on CC sites.
> How do you/we navigate potential copyright risks with this
Use reliable CC sites (unsplash, Wiki, Pexel, etc), and/or buy licenses from stock companies. And use your own photographs. If you are a noncommercial, you can use Getty's stock image via their embed feature. However, be absolutely sure that you're not making money. Affiliate links, even if they make you pennies, makes your site a commercial one.
Crediting without prior explicitly written permission is no good, too.