When I think about the ethical challenges I have encountered, the most challenging has been digital ownership. When a client submits a picture on their website, I check to ensure they own it, have permission from the owner, or are free to use it for their commercial endeavor. Quite a few of my clients would grab a picture from a Google search and ask that I use it on their site or include it as part of a brochure or poster. To verify if an image is protected by copyright, I follow the steps detailed on Pixsy.com: check for an image credit, check for a watermark, check the metadata, or do a reverse Google search. If I have a doubt, I reaffirm with the client that it is their image via email so I have documentation that they attest that they have a right to use the picture.
When clients need images, I refer them to Pexels.com, my go-to for stock images. If an image is used, I give attribution to the owner.
Source
Five ways to verify an image and identify the copyright owner. (n.d.). Pixsy. Retrieved February 22, 2021, from https://www.pixsy.com/academy/image-user/verify-image-source-copyright-owner/
