Help with Copywrite laws

[Fether]

I recently started a blog that focuses on gospel topics. I have wanted to add photos and images, but I have no clue what images are legal for me to use. I want to use images primarily from LDS.org and perhaps a few that I find on google.

Do I even have to worry about it since my realm of influence currently only reaches around 15 people?

Can someone quickly explain what is legal and what is not?

Edited August 26, 2018 by Fether

[zil]

At the bottom of most websites is a link to some kind of rights & use policy.  Here's the Church's:

https://www.lds.org/legal/terms?lang=eng

...which includes this bit:

Quote

post material from the Media Library portion of this site to another website or on a computer network for their own personal, noncommercial use; and 

Personally, I wouldn't use stuff from outside the media library.

For other stuff (not from the Church website), you need to follow links and see what their copyright says (it's "right" as in "my legal rights" rather than "write" - easy mistake to make as it's generally seen as applying to the written word, and there's such a thing as a copy writer, but I digress).  Some allow for personal, non-commercial use (usually on condition that you credit the source), and some don't.

IMO, you do not want to violate copyright.  The folks who can afford to crush you also have automated methods for finding violators - you don't want these people to know your name (my husband and I had a non-fun battle with a company who thought our domain name violated their trademark - not fun, you won't win).  The folks who can't afford to crush you might be struggling artists whose work you just stole - don't do that.

Often, all you have to do is ask - and give credit.  Also, there are lots of places out there to get stuff under the "creative commons" license, which will cost you nothing more than crediting the artist.

[NeuroTypical]

If you're not making any money off your blog, and don't ever plan to, I wouldn't worry much about it.  

Go find some unknown gospel artist and say "I love that picture can I stick it on my blog as long as I credit you?"  You have good chances they'll be thrilled.  

[pwrfrk]

Because of some of the stuff I did and do online, I was adivsed this-  It does not hurt to try to get permission to use anything you get from the internet.  Keep a list of everything you acquired and who you contacted.  Keep copies of every e-mail or letter.  You want to document the living hell out of everything.  That way IF something happens, you are, hopefully, covered.  When displaying anything, give proper credit to the owner, stating the item's use is not for profit.