Johnny Hernandez/Getty Images

We know that the legalities associated with licensing images can be scary. It’s not an easy subject for anyone to completely comprehend. To help make it just a little easier for everyone to understand, we’ve turned to the guidance of our internal copyright and intellectual property experts (aka lawyers).

Below you’ll find some copyright and licensing tips they so kindly put together in regular, non-legal language. With these key tips in mind, it should make using professional images for your business a little less intimidating.

Whenever you use an image, it’s important to be smart about it. A copyright exists the moment an image is created by the photographer, and images are subject to copyright laws. If you want to use an image that you did not create, securing permission or a license is necessary. Don’t equate the Internet as “Public Domain” – just because it’s out there, it does not mean that it’s free for anyone to use.

By law, as the end-user of the image, you are ultimately legally responsible for insuring that you have obtained the appropriate rights to use the imagery. Because of this, you need to do your homework if anyone is designing communications for you or for your company. Be sure they are licensing imagery appropriately. Ask for copies of license paperwork.

Also, be sure you are using content from a trusted source. It’s good to remember that there are a number of providers that offer a broad range of imagery at affordable prices – licensing an image is easy and it’s worth the peace of mind.

If you DO receive a letter from us, here are six tips, please feel free to share these with your friends and designers:

We do have a dedicated Twitter account that helps with these specific kinds of issues. If you have a question, please find us @gettycopyright and we will try to help.

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85153864,  Sarah Hall Photography/Flickr

For the past several years, whenever I asked our customers where they went for inspiration the first word that tripped from their lips was, and still is, Flickr. It’s cool, it’s unique, it’s unexpected and funny. It’s wild and sad and beautiful and you never know what seven days of “Interesting” is going to reveal. And now it’s on gettyimages.com. Whoo hoo!

The creative and photo research teams at Getty Images from all over the world (I’m talking China, Brazil, the US, UK and beyond) have spent the last several months exploring and celebrating all Flickr has to offer in order to bring the most exciting and relevant content to gettyimages.com. It has been an absolute pleasure.

So, here’s the thing. There are three BILLION pictures on Flickr and we are literally at the tip of “ye olde iceberg.” We’re starting small and then we’ll continue our journey and add thousands of new pictures a month while asking more and more Flickr members to participate. This deserves another whoo hoo!

We thought we’d try to answer a few questions here at the outset. But really, we want to hear from you. My colleagues and I will be checking back here often, ready to answer your questions and read all of your wonderful comments.

I am a Flickr member. How can I get invited to participate in the collection?

Our creative teams look through Flickr in a number of ways, but mostly through tags and regular keyword searches. Keep in mind the more descriptive you are with your pictures, the easier they are for us to find. So attach all of the good juju like locations or a descriptive caption. Also, we’re only looking at public images – so make sure any images you’d like considered are set as public. And finally, check the “yes” box on this page and we’ll be sure to find you.

How do you go about selecting imagery from Flickr?

The creative teams have spent thousands of hours with amazing photographers and photography. Our global photo research teams have spent thousands of hours listening to customer needs. We’ve combined those core strengths to select the brightest and most relevant content. And, at the end of the day, we hope to hear directly from you. So tell us exactly what you need right here on this blog by leaving a comment.

How can I let you know I’d like to license an image on Flickr that is not on Getty Images?

In the next few months we intend to add a new feature that will allow you to tag images that you are interested in licensing. We’ll keep you posted.

So that’s it! Let us know what you think! And a final whoo hoo for sign off!

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Catherine Parker/Getty Images

We visited the Methodist Church of Southern Africa to attend a service that Parishner Bram had organized.

Catherine Parker/Getty Images

The church itself is relatively dilapidated, which is similiar to the condition that you find most structures in the settlement. There are large holes in the walls and ceiling and a lack of chairs for anyone to sit.

Due to the strength of the Christian faith in the Wallacedene settlement,  worshippers are not deterred from attending. Every Sunday, the four hour long service is packed with individuals from the local community.

Catherine Parker/Getty Images

The atmosphere of the church is something to be experienced and difficult to describe through words. The only way to truly experience it is to hear it for yourself:

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I hope you’ll be as moved as we were.

Catherine Parker/Getty Images

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Catherine Parker/Getty Images

It’s certainly been a whirlwind tour thus far at the informal Wallacedene settlement in Cape Town, South Africa.

The settlement is located near the heart of the picturesque wine country, but the shanty village of Wallacedene is far from the glowing beauty of its close neighbors. When you enter the community of Wallacedene, the poverty is immediately apparant. Stray, malnourished dogs wander the streets in search of food while children play amongst the rubbish that is littered throughout the streets.

Catherine Parker/Getty Images

It’s these conditions that led to the topic of our digital story, “Environmental Hazards,” which highlights the impact pollution is having on the health of the children in the Wallacedene settlement.

Catherine Parker/Getty Images

Mothusi Mokhalimetso, one of the brightest learners at the school, was a victim of the squalid way of life in his community, contracting and almost dying from tuberculosis (TB). TB is a common and often deadly infectious disease that usually attacks the lungs. Typical symptoms include chronic coughing with blood tinged mucas, fever, night sweats and weight loss. The disease is spread through the air, and due to the close living proximity of residents in these villages, sick residents are often treated as outcasts.

One of the lucky few to survive, Mothusi is now sharing his story as part of the Bridges to Understanding workshop experience.

Catherine Parker/Getty Images – Mothusi Mokhalimetso is ready to share his story.

Unfortunately, TB is not the only killer in the Wallacedene settlement, around 60% of people in the settlement have AIDS, some of which even contracting it from birth.

Luthando Home Care Center takes in HIV infected and affected orphans and toddlers that are vulnerable to this disease. They provide them with food, shelter and access to social grants, particularly for those orphans who have no family to care for them.

Here I am with several of the orphans…

The children are incredibly affectionate, they want to cuddle you, be held close, climb all over you and play with your camera equipment. They are so little and cute, but in the back of your mind, you know this is the case because many have grown up malnourished and their growth has been stunted.

In spite of their struggles, in spite of the disease, dirty water and lack of sewage systems and sanitation, the people in Wallacedene remain upbeat. Their song and culture is what seems to keep them going, and they take each day as it comes.

Catherine Parker/Getty Images

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