Developers implement fix for Googles view image removal within hours of implementation
In a bid to combat internet piracy & flagrant copyright that has swept the web for years( just view most 99 designs or paid design competitions for examples), Google has removed the ‘view image’ button from Google images so users can’t see the original high-quality image. As the thumbnail isn’t the same quality as the original the idea is this will prevent users stealing images. The problem with this, however, is change is a hard thing to force on the internet even if you’re a corporate giant like Google and ironically enough it’s developers using their own browser against them to fight this change, using Google Chrome extensions to reinsert the view image button back into Google.
What do I need to know about Copyright?
It’s illegal to reuse others images without permission or modification. If you need to use images that are not your own on your business website, you must ensure the images are royalty free and your usage complies with the authours original authorization. I.e you cannot use images granted for personal use on your business website / social media/print unless it also grants commercial use.
There are many free & paid subscription-based websites that offer royalty free images for reuse.