Photographs on The Internet are free, right? No not really.

Have you ever used a photograph that you've taken off the Internet? And used it for a Facebook post. Well, here's the question. Did you get permission to use it? 

When the Internet was first. Spreading across the world, it was like the Wild West. You could take anything from the web and use it for.... Anything. (By the way, this was not necessarily legal.) 

So now here we are, years later and the process is still going on. Using a photo that you find on the Internet is not permitted unless you get permission. This is why companies like Getty Images exist. You can buy a photo from them and use it on your website. Or your Facebook posting. (It does cost money though.) 

Here's what's happened. According to FoxBusiness.com.
‘Jennifer Bouma, a commercial photographer in Lake Stevens, Washington, who specializes in real estate interiors and exteriors, is seeking upwards of $150,000 for each photograph, according to the lawsuit, which was filed on July 29.’ 

She has every right to do this, she's a professional photographer and her photos should be treated like any other intellectual property. The photos were found on “Zillow Gone Wild”. Used without her permission. 

Just a side note.
There are people using “web crawlers” that do nothing all day but scour the Internet for photos that are not authorized for use by the photographer. When they find One, it's a payday. At over $100,000 a pop, this can be lucrative. 

According to FoxBusiness.com,
‘Bouma argues in the suit that she notified "Zillow Gone Wild" about the alleged infringement in April when she learned of the postings and the two parties were unable to negotiate a reasonable license.’ 

The moral of this story is don't use someone else's photos without permission.  

Also, don't use someone else's music without permission. It will cost you money. 

Washington photographer files lawsuit alleging viral social media account violated copyright law | Fox Business