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Comment by maeon3 | Hacker News Reader

How much, and in what ways do I have to modify an image (add features, delete features, change aspect) in order to make sure I don't get sued because I am using an image I found on the internet to create something useful for others?

If I can get sued for doing such a thing, certainly there has to be a law outlining it? Or is it the wild west like: "the cowboy with the fastest gun/lawyer gets the pesos".

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Here's a step-by-step guide to modifying an existing image to avoid infringement:

  1. Download image to local storage
  2. Open the image in Photoshop (or editor of choice)
  3. Using the selection tool, select the entire image
  4. Fill selection area with white
  5. Create something useful for others

Actually that doesn't quite work, because you can create an image, and use a significant amount of color that's been copyrighted, I think motorola's pinkish purple is pretty much off limits.

So no, try again... Also, I didn't authorize that you look at my picture. The imprint you copied of it onto your brain is illegal, and you'll be hearing from my lawyer.

There's one simple trick: pay the copyright holder whose work you are exploiting. Once you have a license you have nothing to worry about.

If you don't do that, then any recognizable* use of someone else's image is a copyright violation.

*There are semantic games like "what if I shrink the image to a 1x1 pixel and use that in another image, is that illegal, HUH, IS IT?" But I don't think that's what you care about.

> If you don't do that, then any recognizable* use of someone else's image is a copyright violation.

Er, no. Fair use is actually fairly broad.

> Er, no. Fair use is actually fairly broad.

You are right, I didn't take fair use into account, and Fair Use does take "Transformative nature" into account.

Fair Use does not help the parent poster "make sure [they] don't get sued" though. Fair Use is a defense after you get to court.

I should have said "If you don't do that, then any recognizable use of someone else's image can result in a lawsuit."

Don't modify it, buy it.

I didn't give you authorization to read my comment. You'll be hearing from my lawyer.

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