Hey all. Call me naive but I assumed most people who would be posting on Steemit would realise the above as it seems fairly obvious.
When is it OK to post photos/images/audio or other media? Here is a list of the main situations (not exhaustive):
- When you took it or created it yourself.
- If it is public domain.
- If it has a creative commons license and you follow the specific instructions (for example some licenses require attribution for legality).
- When it is a piece of stock art/image which you have a specific licence for.
- When you have the direct permission of the creator (best if it is in writing).
- When it is fair use, note there is no direct definition of this and technically has to be decided in court. Journalistic uses (which normally have attribution) are allowed but what is and isn't acceptable is a matter of debate.
Note: I always consider it polite to give attribution to the creator even if it is not specifically required for example with creative commons licenses that do not require attribution. It is like a thank you nod to the creator for their effort and allowing you to use their work. It might also enable them to create more art which benefits us all.
Now in many cases artists/creators will probably not pursue or sue someone for copyright infringement if the poster or site is not profiting from it.
That is not the case with Steemit though. The entire platform is built on rewarding posters and content creators. Using other people's content without permission is completely illegal in this case.
So anyway to sum up, don't post anything without permission and the correct attribution.
(About the image at the top of the page: This is an image created by a Chimpanzee called Congo and is therefore considered public domain.)