# Just how wrong is it to use an image from Google Images for an avatar?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-wrong-is-it-to-use-an-image-from-google-images-for-an-avatar/642630>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 1, 2012, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-wrong-is-it-to-use-an-image-from-google-images-for-an-avatar/642630 "2012-12-01T00:21:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 28

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**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-wrong-is-it-to-use-an-image-from-google-images-for-an-avatar/642630/28 "2012-12-03T22:47:26Z")

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[This is a good read](http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/copyright-fair-use-and-how-it-works-for-online-images/) on the subject of fair use of online images in general. Obviously the question of message board avatars is so trivial neither the law nor most discussions about it deal with them specifically. It is comparable to a child wearing a Halloween mask they made by printing an image from the internet and cutting eye holes in it.

An important distinction is also that avatars are usually nothing more than a link to the ‘original work’ and not themselves an attempt to reproduce or take credit for that work.

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