When it comes to branding and marketing, visuals are everything. Businesses often turn to stock photos and design templates because they’re fast, affordable, and accessible. But using them raises an important question:
Who actually owns the rights to those images, and what happens if you modify them?
Copyright law plays a big role here and misunderstanding it can leave businesses exposed.
In this first part of our series on copyright ownership in images and commissioned designs, we unpack the essentials of stock photo rights, what you can (and can’t) do, and how to protect your brand when relying on ready-made visuals.
CAN I USE A STOCK PHOTO AND MAKE IT MY OWN?
Stock photos are ready-made pictures you can buy or download to use in your business, social media, or marketing. They’re quick and easy, but what if you want to change a stock photo and then protect it so no one else can use it the way you do?
Here’s what you need to know.
1. Who owns the photo?
Every stock photo is protected by copyright. That means the photographer (or the company that sells the photo) owns the rights to it. When you pay for a stock photo, you don’t buy the rights to it, you only get a licence that allows you to use it but more often than not, with certain restrictions.
2. Can I change it?
Most stock photo licences let you edit the photo; crop it, add words, change colours, put it into a design, and so on.
If you do this, you might own the copyright in the new parts you added (like your text or graphics). But you will never own the original photo itself. Other people who buy the same stock photo licence can still use it however they like.
3. Can I trade mark it?
Trade marks are for brand elements; your business name, logo, or a design that identifies your products or services.
- If you use a stock photo “as is,” you can’t register it as a trade mark, because anyone else can use that same photo.
- If you combine the stock photo with your logo, words, or other unique designs, you may be able to protect the whole design as a trade mark. But the protection won’t cover the stock photo by itself.
4. How to protect yourself
- Read the licence: Always check what you can and can’t do with the photo.
- Add your brand (if the licence allows for it): Make the image yours by including your logo, colours, or slogans.
- Go custom for exclusivity: If you want something no one else can use, hire a photographer or designer to create original images for you. Then you can own the copyright outright.
IN SHORT
You can use and edit stock photos in most cases, but remember – you don’t own them. You can only own and protect the new elements you have added (like text or logos), not the original image or photograph. If you want something truly yours, the safest option is to get original work made for you.
Stay tuned for Part 2 in our series on Copyright Ownership:
Understanding the limits of stock photo use is only the beginning. While licences let you access and adapt existing images, true control over your brand visuals often requires more than edits to someone else’s work. In Part 2, we’ll explore copyright ownership in original designs and commissioned works including how to ensure you own the rights outright, avoid disputes with creators, and secure lasting protection for your brand.
Got questions? Get in touch with us today.