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Google Images adds ‘usage rights’ filter and ‘licensable’ badge

Google Images is rolling out two features today aimed at “image creators, stock image providers, and digital content associations.” Eligible results in the visual search engine will feature a “licensable” badge, while you can now filter by “Usage Rights.”

Following a Google Images query, a new “Usage Rights” dropdown joins Size, Color, Type, and Time under the “Tools” menu. “All” is the default, with “Creative Commons licenses” and “Commercial & other licenses” following. The rollout begins today on the desktop and mobile web.

Images that have licensing information will feature a “Licensable” badge in the bottom-left corner of the thumbnail. More information is available in the full viewer:

When you select a badged image to view, we will show a link to the license details of the image, and if provided by the publisher, you’ll also find a link to where you can purchase or license the image. 

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These two additions follow Image Search adding photo credits, as well as other copyright and creator information, to results. It started in 2018 with Google adding support for IPTC Image Rights metadata and a “new metadata framework through Schema.org” this February.

These updates are part of changes we have made on Google Images in recent years to make it more clear who the creator or copyright holder of the image is.

Google notes “widespread adoption of this new standard by websites, image platforms, and agencies of all sizes.”

Details on how to participate are available here.

More about Google Images:

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Avatar for Abner Li Abner Li

Editor-in-chief. Interested in the minutiae of Google and Alphabet. Tips/talk: abner@9to5g.com