Using Images Legally

Every photo, illustration, logo and font is protected by copyright from the moment it is made. Finding an image with a search engine does not give you permission to use it. Using it without permission can lead to takedown requests, fines — and, in an assignment, an academic misconduct finding.

• CC0 / public domain — use freely.
• CC BY — use and adapt, but credit the creator.
• CC BY-SA — credit, and share your adapted version under the same licence.
• NC (NonCommercial) — not for commercial use (a poster advertising a paid event may count as commercial).
• ND (NoDerivatives) — you may not change the image (no cropping into a composite).

If a photo clearly shows a person — especially a child — you need their permission (and a parent's or guardian's for under-18s) to use it on publicity material. Many schools have photo-consent forms. When in doubt, choose images where people are not identifiable, or use illustrations.

Tools such as Adobe Firefly and other AI generators can create images from text. Rules for using them in coursework vary: check your college's policy, say clearly which images were AI-generated and with which tool, and check the tool's terms for commercial use.