Google has announced that it's now possible to search for images that you can re-use under Creative Commons. If you visit Image search and choose the Advanced search function there's the following option:
Simply choose the option that you want, and the job is done. Except of course that it isn't. You're relying on the author to identify work as their own in the first instance. Then you've got to double check to find out if you can actually use the image in the way that you want. You've also got to make sure that the Creative Commons option actually links to *images* rather than say the text on the page. Even Google themselves say "We can help you take the first step towards finding these images, but we can't guarantee that the content we linked to is actually in the public domain, or available under the license."
So that's alright then! If you're not that impressed I link to a few dozen other image search engines on my website.
Comments