copying text and images: text no, images absolutely not

web · 2026-10-13 · 6 min

short answer: text no, images absolutely not — unless licensed, quoted briefly, or yours. the details matter because the penalties stack: google demotions, host takedowns, and invoices from lawyers with image-search subscriptions. here is the whole map.

text: rewrite, don't lift

copying paragraphs triggers duplicate-content filters (your page suppressed, the original kept) and, beyond fair-use snippets, copyright infringement. the fix is free: read three sources, close them, explain it your way for your customer. your version ranks better anyway — original answers beat echoed ones. the ranking side: what is seo, fully explained.

images: the expensive ones

photo agencies hunt with reverse-image search and bill four figures per image, routinely, from small businesses. "found on google" is not a license; neither is crediting the author nor non-commercial use. every image needs a license trail: shoot it, buy it (stock), or use vetted free libraries (unsplash, pexels) keeping the license terms. screenshots and logos of others: nominative use has limits — ask when in doubt.

the legal shapes (briefly)

copyright attaches automatically; no © needed. fair use covers brief quotation with attribution for comment, not wholesale reuse. Creative Commons varies by license (some forbid commercial use — check each image). client-supplied images: get the license in writing from the client, or the liability arrives with the redesign. none of this is legal advice; all of it is cheaper than the invoice.

what to do instead

phone photography (real beats stock for trust and costs an afternoon). one stock subscription if volume demands. vendor-supplied media with written permission. AI-generated images where provenance matters less (decorative, with disclosure where required). the content engine this feeds: content for small business sites.

FAQ

can I copy from competitors' sites?

that combines the SEO penalty with the legal risk and adds originality zero — the only strategy that loses on every axis simultaneously. study them, then write better.

someone copied MY site — what now?

screenshot with dates, contact them once (many fold), then DMCA to their host (hosts act fast), then google's removal form. lawyers last, not first — most cases end at the host.