09/02/2026
“But we thought it was fair use.”
That sentence can get photographers into some serious trouble.
Just because an image is being used for a business, education, social media, or some other seemingly harmless purpose doesn’t automatically make that use “fair.”
Fair use is a specific legal doctrine, not a blanket excuse for using someone else’s photography without permission.
In this clip from my conversation with attorney Wendy Neal, we talk about some of the common excuses clients make when they’ve used photography without properly licensing it.
If you’re a photographer, knowing your rights is just as important as knowing how to create great images.
Listen to the full episode of Beyond the Image for the complete conversation.
