ABA Family Legal Guide

Computer Law

Computer Copyright and Trademark Issues

Legal Issues and Your Personal Website

May I post pictures on the Internet?

You generally may post pictures on your website with the consent of their owners, unless the photographs are illegal, such as if they depict obscene child pornography, or infringe on the privacy rights of the person in the picture. In addition, you can generally post pictures you took of people in public places where they had no reasonable expectation of privacy, such as in a mall or at a stadium. You also may reprint the pictures if they are in the public domain.

But unless it's fair use, reprinting pictures from a website, a book, a newspaper, or a magazine or other copyrighted material is generally forbidden. You must have the permission of the copyright holder before reprinting the pictures.