wheel - 1:22 am on Jan 17, 2013 (gmt 0)

>>>As far as royalty-free and rights-managed photography is concerned, yes. I have purchased thousands of watermark-free, royalty-free and/or rights-managed photos over the years, and licensed (purchased) royalty-free photos can be used in a variety of ways, and for as long as you like. Of course, there are other rules and procedures, but using those images for web or print media is certainly valid.

We're having a difference of opinion over your likelihood of being sued by Getty. Many here - including myself - have been threatened to be sued by these folks. It's not rare. It's commonplace. Which is why I don't use stock images of any type anymore. I suspect you think it's rare and unlikely to happen to you. And perhaps you're correct.

You're welcome to use them all you like if you think they're cheaper and easier and better for your business. But I'm telling you, if you don't have papered proof that you own the rights to every single image you've used over the last half dozen years, then you're living on borrowed time.

Worse, if you don't have papered proof from your graphic artist for any images they used, then you're on borrowed time. Even if they have reuse rights, you need papered proof of that. Or, stand to get a threat of a suit. It's no longer a hypothetical.

You'll only have to go digging through receipts from 5 years ago once to defend against an unwarrated threat of a lawsuit before you get with the program and refuse to give these people another dime. That'll waste an entire morning of your day, just because these companies automate their lawsuits.

And if you think people don't notice the use of stock photography, see this, Dell and Gateway use the same person:
[engadget.com...]