copyright licensing
Can I use a picture of a car for an album cover?
<p>Assume I want to use a picture from unsplash of an old Dodge pickup for an album cover.</p>
<p>Can I use the picture without infringing on the car designer’s copyright? Would I need to obscure branding or get some sort of license?</p>

<p>Copyright applies to the <em>work</em>. A photo of a car is a work. The car manufacturer has no rights in the photo. The photographer holds the copyright by virtue of having made the photo until the copyright expires... about 50-70 years after the photographer's death.</p>
<p>To make a <em>derivate</em> of a work, you need to be either the rights-holder (e.g. the photographer) or acquire a license.</p>
<p>Whether a picture is positively given with a free license is hard to prove, especially since many many sites that host &quot;free&quot; pictures actually infringe copyrights and can't license the photos out - in such a case you'd have acquired a void license and thus infringed copyright.</p>

<p>First, images from Unsplash are NOT free from copyright, just usage is free of charge when you either have a paid account or add the copyright line (something like © creator/unsplash ) to your work (here: album cover) directly next to the image.</p>
<p>But: at Unsplash, you can never be sure if the one who claims to be the creator actually IS the creator (and copyright holder), lots of images are lifted from real stock photo sites, so beware!</p>
<p>Second, a car is designed by humans and is, like a photograph or illustration, copyrighted for usually 70 years after the death of the creator or 100 years after the creation. Same applies to the logo on the car.</p>
<p>But, not all companies will chase copyright infringers when &quot;old&quot; cars are depicted; I know for sure that PORSCHE does and Volkswagen too, when vintage vans and beetles are involved. It might be a good idea to ask the manufacturer.</p>
