Disclaimer: Boring, but necessary. I'm no attorney and I can't give legal advice. I'll share by thoughts, but before you take any action seek your own locally licensed attorney for legal counsel.

Ok, moving on. So if you missed my previous post on the shocking copyright smackdown I got or my video interview with a photographer/attorney who deleted her pin boards, check those out first. The topic this week for our Visual Marketing series is on how to legally share images online and, since all the restrictions that come with copyright are no fun (boo-hoo), I thought I'd open options back up for you today with some ideas for how you can safely pin or repin images on Pinterest.

Images You Took or Designed Are A-OK

When it comes to photos you took with your own camera or graphics and illustrations you designed from scratch, you're safe. You own your own work, so you can share as you please. Although, you might want to watermark your images to make sure you get credit for them when they go viral.

The "Pin It" Button May Be Safe

If someone has listed the "pin it" button on their website and on the specific page from which you're pinning an image, that's a strong indication that they are cool with their images being shared on Pinterest. To be safe, take a screenshot of the webpage showing the Pin It button and the URL of the webpage so you have proof that they were inviting people to share their images.

Buy Royalty-Free Images

There are many stock image shops that offer very affordable photos and graphics for as low as $1 each which give you royalty-free license to use freely. You will need to confirm the permissions and restrictions of the license for each image, but many will allow you to modify the image and share the image online.

But don't think buying images will stifle your creativity. You can always style your images with framing, quotes, tips and other embellishments. (Just make sure if you use a quote, it is not protected by copyright.)

Written Permission Rules

If there is a photo you want to share, you can always approach the original owner of that image (not the person who shared it...the original creator or owner) and simply ask to share it online. Be sure to keep a digital copy of the permission offered.

What Are Your Tips for Safely Sharing Images on Pinterest?