If you use photos in a blog, a brochure, or your prayer letter, you should understand copyright laws. Using music on a video may also have copyright issues.
What You Should Know about Copyrights
Do you have permission to use images you’ve found through an internet search? Probably not. Use your own photos or a site that offers images and follow their requirements for acknowledging the source.
I recommend you read the entire article, Using Copyrighted Material, on the Staff Web. In fact, this is essential information for Cru staff, so set aside some time today to read it.
A YouTube Example
YouTube makes it easy to replace the audio in a video. I recently made a YouTube video where I replaced mall-noise with a romantic melody for a video of my nephew’s gondola ride with his new bride. I had a song in mind, but it’s copyrighted. YouTube has a library of royalty-free music, so I eventually found one that turned out well. If I’d added the music I really wanted, using my desktop, and then uploaded it, I would’ve violated a copyright.
I’ve also asked my nephew’s permission to post this, which is a courtesy, but could also be a legal privacy issue (not a copyright issue, since I own the photo).
I’ve included the video so you can see that using their free music means an advertisement pops up; you can close this right away, however. YouTube also offers to reduce shakiness, which I decided not to do (because one time the video looked worse afterwards). It is what it is… a family video of a special day.
I know I need to post about recommended free online image sites, so I promise to do that ASAP. If some of you can add recommended links in the comments, we’ll all appreciate that.
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