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Are there any online services that can check for copyrighted images within a composition? For example, review the design of a Web site home page which might include multiple photos, illustrations and copy - to see whether any of these images are copyrighted or stock photography that need to be licensed.
Hello! Thank you for your question of are there any online services that can check for copyrighted images within a composition. I understand that you are looking for a service that can review the design of a website homepage that could include multiple photos, illustration, and copy to determine whether any of the images are copyrights or stock photography that needs to be licensed. The short answer is there are no services that currently perform the exact service you need. I was able to identify one service that is using artificial intelligence (AI) to detect copyrighted and trademarked images. In addition, there are some other services similar to Google Image Search that might be able to provide some of the services you need, but that aren't specifically designed for image copyright infringement detection. I have also briefly profiled Google Image Search and AskWonder to highlight where they might be of use for your digital agency. Finally, I provided some information on how your designers can avoid copyright infringement altogether. A deep dive of my findings is below.
Methodology
To begin my research, I performed several basic Google searches to see if any software products have been developed specifically for the service you requested. I found numerous plagiarism detectors, but none of them have the capability of scanning images. I expanded my searches to include trademark infringement because this crime is very similar to copyright infringement. I found one start-up company that is using AI to perform searches similar to what you describe in terms of checking a website or publication for copyrighted and trademarked images.
During my search, I also identified two services that have both free and paid options that could possibly perform the type of search you need; however, they function much in the same way as Google Image Search, so they may not be viable solutions for your digital agency.
Limitations
After extensively searching for companies and software products that perform the kind of image copyright verification you describe, I have discovered that there aren't many solutions available. I have tried to provide you with a variety of current options I unearthed during my research, but it is possible I missed a service that could perform this type of image copyright verification as part of a suite of other services. However, I am confident that the solutions I profile here can assist your designers in ensuring the images they use are not copyrighted, even if they aren't exactly what you are looking for.
I understand that you want a service that can review multiple images at one time, but I was unable to find any service or software product that specifically indicated it could perform this function. It appears that the single online service I located (TrademarkVision) that searches images against trademarks and copyright information could possibly be appropriate for multiple images, but according to the website, you will still have to run the search several times to ensure all images are scanned.
Results
This is the single online service I was able to identify that performs the type of search you requested. Their stated mission is "protecting brands through computer vision and machine learning technology while valuing our colleagues and partners." TrademarkVision was initially formed to use "deep learning to match your logo or trademark with millions of trademarks it may infringe upon." The service has since evolved, however, and it can now recognize images of all types.
According to its "Guide" page, to check on the trademark of an image, simply "upload the image and click the "search" button." If you need more than one image searched, you will have to run the search a few times to ensure all images are free to use.
The only downfall of this service is the price. Although the company does not list prices on its website, I found an article that said, "TrademarkVision offers different subscription service packages, depending on the size of the firm," but "A single image search costs $400, a text search is $100 and an annual monitor is $600 per year. There are a number of monthly bundled packages. Custom plans are also available." This is likely cost-prohibitive for your company, so I have profiled a few other options as well.
This is a reverse image search engine, very similar to Google Image Search. According to its "How does Tin Eye work" FAQ, "TinEye creates a unique and compact digital signature or 'fingerprint' for its use in image recognition, then compares this fingerprint to every other image in our index to find matches. TinEye uses robust and accurate image recognition and as such can find even partial image matches to your search image." It is so refined that it can recognize both partial and cropped images.
As with Google Image Search, you can only search one image at a time using Tin Eye. It will find out where the image came from, but it doesn't let you know if is copyrighted or not. It can also perform other services like researching or tracking "the appearance of an image online," finding "higher resolution versions of an image," locating web pages that make use of an image you have created," and discovering "modified or edited versions of an image."
Tin Eye is free for non-commercial use, which allows up to 50 image searches per day and 150 image searches per week. If you intend to perform more searches than that, you can purchase a commercial paid bundle, which cost:
All plans expire after two years, at which time you will lose any remaining searches on your account.
This is a website that provides services that are not quite what you are looking for, but it might be able to perform the types of searches you need. Pixsy is "an online software platform that identifies unlicensed image use on the Internet." The reason I included this service on the list is because you can scan up to 500 images for free to locate other instances of use. The service is designed for people to search their own images for cases of copyright infringement, but there is no reason why you can't scan and search other images as well. Pixsy's other service is to help people pursue action against unauthorized use of their images, but since you are looking to prevent that from happening in the first place, you won't need to use this part of Pixsy's offerings.
As mentioned above, Pixsy's search function is free for up to 500 images. You can purchase other packages if you intend to scan and search for more images. The prices for these are:
Please note that as with other reverse image search engines, you can only scan and search one image at a time. It also doesn't appear to let you know whether an image is copyrighted. It only identifies instances where it has been used. Furthermore, the price packages include other features you probably won't need, such as DCMA takedowns and settlement earnings, so you will need to decide whether the cost per month is worth it if you are only using the image search function.
As you are aware, you can certainly ask Wonder analysts to perform image searches for you; however, it could be cost prohibitive, since you will need to pay for each request. You would be able to request that several images be searched at a time, though, so if you only need a few images searched once in a while, it might be worth the money to have someone else do that work for you. Keep in mind that Wonder only uses publicly available information to answer questions and research requests, so analysts will be using the same free tools that are already available to you. Still, your time is valuable and analysts can help you make the most of that time by performing these types of tasks on your behalf.
You are already familiar with Google Image Search, but I will summarize its features to help you make a comparison with the other tools profiled here. Google Image Search allows you to upload an image to any search bar on an images results page, drag and drop images into a search box, or search using a URL. When using Chrome or Firefox, you can even right click on an image and select "Search Google for this Image" to perform the search. Google then stores the image you use to "make our products and services better." There does not appear to be a limit of searches you can perform, but as you observed, you are only able to search one image at a time and it doesn't let you know whether the image is copyrighted or not.
HOW TO AVOID COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT
From my research, I discovered that the best way to avoid a situation where you could accidentally commit copyright infringement is to create your own images and not use any image from the web at all. Infinity Marketing notes that "it is so easy these days with smart phones and cameras easily accessible [to] create your own unique photos of your business and products. These are your intellectual property, and you can guarantee nobody has the same one." If you don't feel like you or your designers have the expertise to create you own photos and images, you can hire a photographer to do it for you. Photographers vary widely in price, but between the cost of paying for an image scanning service and the potential fines for violating copyright laws, which can be between $3,000 and $150,000, a photographer that creates unique content for your company could be a bargain.
There are also places on the web where you can go to get free or paid images that you can be sure are available for your use. Some of these are:
Conclusion
To wrap it up, after an exhaustive search I was unable to find a service that performs checks for copyrighted images within a composition. However, TrademarkVision, Tin Eye, and Pixsy are three products that can do at least some of what you need to ensure your designers are not breaching copyright when they use images for websites, posters, and other design work. In addition, I have provided you with information on how your designers can avoid using copyrighted work altogether.
Thank you for using Wonder! Please let us know if we can help you with anything else.