Layer Two concerns ownership of the physical copy of the image, and any restrictions imposed by the owner or source. For example, we require a web site link or photo credit to "PDimages.com" when any of our images are used. Layer Three concerns ownership of the subjects portrayed in the image, including copyrighted subjects, trademarked subjects, and other protected people, places, things and events. Layer Four concerns how you will use the image, whether commercially, editorially, or in advertising. Your use may also touch on such legal areas as right to publicity, right to privacy, misrepresentation, defamation, libel, or tarnishment. Only by satisfying all four layers can you use an image legally.Other Laws Concerning Images
In total, there are four layers of ownership in every image, and copyright ownership of the image is only the First Layer. Public domain, or copyright-free images can still be subject to laws of three other layers of ownership.
Layer Three is mainly of concern if you are using an image of a famous person from the last hundred years or so, and if you are using them in a commercial or advertising way (Layer Four).
For example, putting a copyright-free image of Marilyn Monroe on a T-shirt would be a commercial use, or using her in a magazine ad would be an advertising use. Both commercial and advertising uses would require payment to her estate even though the image itself is public domain. Using that same image inside a commercially published book as an illustration would be an editorial use, and would not require payment.
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Some clues to other common problems some images present can be seen in the notes under the Restrictions column in the PDimages.com Catalog.');