The Visual Resources Association offers a handy web tool called The Digital Image Rights Computator to “assist the user in assessing the intellectual property status of a specific image documenting a work of art, a designed object, or a portion of the built environment. Understanding the presence or absence of rights in the various aspe
cts of a given image will allow the user to make informed decisions regarding the intended educational uses of that image.” The interactive program guides you through a series of questions addressing five variables:
- The copyright status of the underlying work represented in the image.
- The copyright status of the photographic reproduction.
- The specific source from which you have obtained the image under consideration.
- Any terms of use or contract that may govern the uses of the image.
- The intended use(s) of the image.
