Asked in Business Law, Consumer Law and Contracts

Q: Can I use public domain images and audio (clipart/stock images) for a NonCommercial radio show advertisment?

I have a radio show that airs every Friday, I do not own the station or receive money for the production but I would like to advertise the show using posters. The radio station itself DOES play commercial advertisements but not during my hour segment. The poster that I have created uses some clipart images which are in the public domain but only for NonCommercial use.

Can I use them for advertising something which I do not make money from? If I can, would opening a donations page on a site like Patreon mean that I cannot do so?

1 Lawyer Answer
Robyn T. Williams
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Answered

A: You should not use images that are not licensed for commercial purposes. Although you do not make money from your show, the radio station is a commercial entity. If you want to use photos for show advertisements, I'd highly recommend purchasing the correct license. You don't want to be liable for willful copyright infringement.

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