Agencies
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Transparency & Accountability – Wednesday, November 5, 2025
Don't be a Copyright Cat
"Can I Use This Image?"-Let's Talk About it
So, you’re building a page in AEM and you need a great image. You hop over to Google, find the perfect photo from a news site or a local business, and think, “This’ll look awesome on our homepage!” We get it. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it feels harmless—especially if it’s just for internal use. But here’s the thing: that image isn’t yours to use. Even if it’s just going on an intranet page or a staff newsletter, if dont't have proper ownership and usage rights of that photo or graphic, you could be stepping into some serious copyright trouble. And before you ask, no, just giving credit under the image doesn’t magically make it okay (we wish it did). And it’s not just images. These same rules apply to video clips, background music, sound effects, and even voiceovers. If you didn’t create it or license it, you can’t use it. That catchy jingle or cool drone footage? It could cost you thousands of dollars if it’s not cleared.
"But What's The Worst That Could Happen?"
Glad you asked. Every year, there are an estimated 300,000+ copyright infringement claims related to online content globally. Many of these are tied to media—images, videos, and audio—used without permission. The average damage per claim? Around $3,000 to $5,000. And if it’s considered “willful infringement,” that number can jump to up to $150,000 per file. That’s a lot of money for a picture of a sandwich—or a 10-second music clip. And yes, this has happened to government agencies. It’s not just big corporations getting hit. So let’s avoid that, shall we?
Where People Usually Go Wrong
- “It’s on the internet, so it must be free.” Nope. Most media online is protected by copyright, even if it doesn’t say so.
- “I found it on a news site, and we’re a government agency, so it’s fine.” Still nope. Unless you have a written agreement with that source, you can’t use their content.
- “It’s just for internal use.” Doesn’t matter. Internal use still counts as use.
- "I found it on a site that says Royalty Free." Believe it or not lots of sites claim to offer royalty free images, but users upload copyrighten material too them. Think of them like forged artwork, you may not have gotten it from the original gallery but it's still going to be incorrect usage just the same.
So What Can You Do Instead?
- Use Adobe Stock: DoIT has already paid for a bunch of Adobe Stock credits that you can use for your agency’s website. It’s like a buffet of high-quality, safe-to-use images, and videos. And once your agency licenses a file, you’re good to go—no need to license it again. Before licensing a new image, AEM authors should search the Global folder in Assets—it contains shared, pre-licensed images that are available for everyone to use.
Pro Tips To Stay Safe
- When in doubt, don’t use it. If you’re unsure whether a file is okay to use, it probably isn’t.
- Keep records. If you license a file or get permission, save that email or file. It could save you a headache later.
- Ask for help. Seriously, we’re here for you.
For additional guidance please contact DoIT Web Services. We’ll help you find something that looks great and keeps the lawyers happy.