For a UK website, keep a record showing why each externally sourced photograph, illustration, passage, or other work can be used in its intended context. Establish ownership or a valid permission basis, meet the conditions, and retain the evidence with the content. This guide supports an editorial workflow; disputed rights and uncertain exceptions need advice on the particular case.
Establish the right basis for the intended use
UK government copyright guidance explains that protection arises automatically for qualifying works; registration and a copyright symbol are not prerequisites. Finding an image publicly accessible online therefore supplies a discovery route, not evidence of reuse permission.
The government's guidance on using another person's copyright identifies licensing, acquiring rights, and applicable exceptions as routes to lawful use. A licence can be limited by purpose, duration, and territory. Check the actual terms, including whether the intended commercial context and any modification are covered.
Begin with the creator or an authorized rights representative. A search result, social-media repost, or unattributed copy may be several steps removed from that source. If you cannot establish permission, choose another work you can clear or investigate the applicable official process before publication.
IPO guidance on exceptions explains that fair dealing depends on context, including the amount used and market impact. There is no universal percentage or word count that makes reuse lawful. The exception for reporting current events excludes photographs, while other exceptions have their own conditions. Document the reasoning and seek specialist advice when relying on an uncertain exception.
Ask for the use you actually plan
A specific request is easier to answer and retain than “Can we use this?” Identify the work unambiguously and describe where and how it will appear. Include the page or publication, commercial context, expected duration, audience or territory, and any crop, overlay, excerpt, or adaptation.
For a Creative Commons work, record the exact licence and version and check its conditions for attribution, commercial use, adaptations, and sharing. For commissioned content, establish the contract's rights provisions. Paying a creator and receiving a file do not by themselves explain all of the rights granted.
Keep permission evidence with the asset
| Field | What to retain |
|---|---|
| Identity | Asset ID, original source URL, creator, rights contact |
| Basis | Licence or permission text, agreement date, evidence location |
| Scope | Pages, media, duration, territory, commercial use, allowed edits |
| Publication | Actual page URL, credit wording, crop/version, publication date |
| Maintenance | Expiry or review date, responsible editor, replacement/removal action |
The content permissions record provides these fields and a prepublication check. Keep invoices, email permissions, and licence snapshots in private storage; public credits should include only the information required for readers and the licence.
The IPO's digital-images notice discusses ownership, licensing, orphan works, and circumstances involving multiple rights holders. It also explains that employment and underlying works can affect who controls the rights. Check those facts when the visible photographer's permission may cover only part of an image.
During review, open the actual published page and verify the credit, link, crop, and placement against the permission record. Repeat that check when reusing the asset in a new channel or redesigning the page. An asset library entry marked “approved” needs the approved purpose attached.
If you find your work copied elsewhere
- Preserve the original work, authorship or rights records, and the permissions you have granted.
- Record the suspected copy's URL, date, and visible use. Keep screenshots and relevant correspondence privately.
- Check whether the use is licensed, authorized through a representative, or plausibly covered by an exception before making an allegation.
- Choose a proportionate next step: a factual enquiry, the platform's current reporting process, mediation, or professional advice.
GOV.UK's intellectual-property enforcement guidance directs rights holders toward advice and dispute-resolution options. A platform report needs accurate ownership and location information; submit only statements you can support. Cross-border disputes also require attention to the relevant jurisdiction and process.
If you receive a complaint, preserve the evidence and permission records, check the claimant's basis, and seek advice where liability or a settlement is disputed. Review related uses of the same asset so that the response addresses the actual scope. For finding original publishers and official documents, use the techniques in Search Engines.