Note that many other databases include images on the topics they cover, particularly encyclopedias and other background sources.
Images in the public domain do not have a copyright; this includes older works with expired copyrights. Images in the public domain may also be used for free.
Chances are, you've seen a Creative Commons license. These licenses enable copyright holders to provide preemptive permission for certain uses. Instead of "All Rights Reserved," Creative Commons licenses enable creators to share work with only "Some Rights Reserved." Educational uses such as reports and presentations will be allowed, though you will need to credit the image creator and follow any other restrictions in the license.
Here is a photo licensed under a Creative Commons license:
And this is an ideal attribution: "Creative Commons 10th Birthday Celebration San Francisco” by tvol is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Because it includes:
How you attribute authors of the CC works will depend on whether you modify the content, if you create a derivative, if there are multiple sources, etc. Find out more about attribution on the CC Wiki.
The content of this box is a derivative of "How to give attribution" by creative commons, used under a CC BY 4.0 license
