Copyright protection extends to more things than you may think. When you are designing new things for marketing, it is important to always keep copyright in mind.
How can you know if the assets you take are free to use, or if they have copyright protection?
Understand copyright law
Forbes discusses some protections needed when handling copyright. The first thing to do is to understand the purpose of copyright, which will allow for an easier understanding of the application of copyright law.
For example, digital copyright laws these days focus on striking a balance between the ease of content access with compensation of the artists. Fair compensation helps to foster dynamic cultural growth, which is important to all industries.
Explore the public domain
Next, explore the public domain. When a copyrighted work expires, it falls into the public domain. The public domain also includes things that cannot receive copyright protection, like ideas, geometric forms, colors and government images. It is much easier to use something that exists in the public domain, as it does not have copyright protections.
Respect creatives
Finally, always err on the side of respecting the creatives whose work you want to use. When in doubt, do not use any image or asset that you do not have explicit permission to use, or that you cannot confirm exists within the public domain. This is the best way not only to respect creatives and artists but to avoid having a copyright legal battle unfold, which can cost a lot of time and money.