How to check if an image is copyrighted
The details inside the file are the quickest clue, but they aren't the whole story. To find out whether an image is copyrighted and who to ask for permission:
- Check the file. Drop it into the checker above. A copyright notice, creator name or licence tells you who claims the image and on what terms.
- Look where it's published. Captions, photo credits, watermarks and the site's terms often name the photographer or the agency that licenses the image.
- Find the original. A reverse image search with Google Lens, Bing or TinEye shows other copies. The earliest or largest copy usually leads to the owner. Google Images also shows the creator and copyright notice when the original has them.
- Check stock libraries. Many images online come from Getty Images, Shutterstock or Adobe Stock, where you can see who owns them and buy a licence.
- Search registrations. In the US, the Copyright Office public records list registered works. Most photos are never registered, so not finding one there doesn't mean much.
What the results mean
Photos can store ownership details in three places: EXIF, written by cameras and phones; IPTC, the older standard used by news and stock agencies; and XMP, the newer one used by Lightroom and Photoshop. The checker reads all three and shows where each value came from.
Copyright notice and creator
The owner's claim, usually in the form “© 2026 Jane Smith”, and the name of the person who took the photo. They aren't always the same: a photographer working for a client or an agency may not own the copyright.
Credit line and source
How the owner wants to be credited when the image is published, and the agency or archive that supplied it.
Usage terms and licence page
What you may do with the image, such as “All rights reserved”, and a link to a page where you can license it. Google Images uses the licence page for its “Licensable” badge.
Creative Commons licence
A free licence with conditions. CC BY means you must credit the creator, NC means no commercial use, ND means no changes and SA means you must share changes under the same licence. CC0 and the Public Domain Mark mean the image can be used freely.
Content Credentials
A signed C2PA record of who made the image and how it was edited, added by some cameras, editing apps and AI image generators. The checker detects it, and you can inspect the record at contentcredentials.org.
What if no copyright info is found?
It doesn't mean the image is free to use. In the more than 180 countries that have signed the Berne Convention, a photo is protected by copyright as soon as it's taken, with no notice or registration needed.
Metadata is also easy to lose. Many social networks and websites remove some or all of it on upload, and screenshots and edited copies often have none. An image with no copyright info is far more likely to be a stripped copy than an image nobody owns.
Can I use an image I found online?
Usually only with the owner's permission. You can use an image freely when:
- You have a licence from the owner or a stock library.
- It has a Creative Commons licence and you follow its terms.
- It's in the public domain, because its copyright has expired or the owner gave it up with CC0.
Exceptions such as fair use in the US and fair dealing in the UK are narrow and depend on how you use the image. Crediting the photographer doesn't replace permission. This isn't legal advice, so check with a lawyer if you're unsure.
For photographers: show it's yours
If you're checking your own work, the result shows what anyone who downloads your photo can see. With no name in the file, people have no way to know it's yours. Add copyright to your photos in bulk, for free and without losing quality.
Metadata only helps while it stays in the file, though. To find copies that have been stripped, cropped or re-shared, search the web for your photos. Our guide shows how to reverse image search multiple images at once, and protecting your photographs covers what to do when you find one.
Frequently asked questions
Is the image copyright checker free?
Yes. It's free with no sign-up and no limit on how many images you check.
Is my image uploaded anywhere?
No. The image is read by your browser on your own device and is never sent to a server.
Can it tell me if an image is copyright free?
No tool can do that from the file alone. It shows what the owner wrote into the image, such as a copyright notice or a Creative Commons licence. If it finds nothing, the image is most likely still protected by copyright.
Why does it find nothing in an image from social media?
Many social networks and websites remove some or all of a photo's metadata when it's uploaded, and screenshots never have any. Try to find the original with a reverse image search and check that copy instead.
Which file types does it support?
JPEG, PNG, HEIC, WebP, AVIF and TIFF, which covers photos from cameras, phones and the web.
How do I add copyright info to my own photos?
Use our free Add copyright to photos tool. It writes your name, copyright notice and licensing details into a whole batch of JPEG and PNG files without changing their quality.