We often meet clients who ask us if they can use an internet image for their logo. They find it convenient because a random image on the internet that closely reflects their thought can be acquired with least effort. In some cases, people recreate a google image or imitate it to claim that it is original! However, none of these will help build a good brand.

A casual google search for images on any topic will return thousands of images. In fact, there are millions of free logo artworks available too! But, if you are thinking about using any of those for your logo, then we don’t encourage you do that. Here is why we say it is a bad idea to use images from the internet for your website and logos.

  • Ethically wrong: Ethical conduct is one of the most important ingredients in the core values of most successful companies. A lot of time, money and creativity is spent in creating a logo. Using the works of others with no regard to their efforts puts a huge question mark on your business ethics. Do not compromise on your core values at any cost.
  • Copyright infringement: Copyright laws protect the owner of the image against theft, and anyone who wants to use a particular image will need to take prior permission from its owner before doing so. Otherwise, the consequences can be serious for you. In case you want to use any free images for a non-commercial purpose, you need to be careful in choosing those which are not protected by copyright.
  • Reputation is at stake: Your company’s reputation is something that you never want to compromise. Do not fall into illegal practices and tarnish your company’s reputation. Big corporate companies pay a lot of attention to the companies they associate with and business ethics matter a lot. If your customers or prospects visit your website and see that your logo is an imitation of another, it will give them a lousy impression about your company.

 

  • Logos have more than one meaning: Logos aren’t what they appear at the first glance or the straight look. They can be tricky. A logo can have different hidden meanings when seen differently. It is possible that your logo can mean differently to different people. If you just pick a nice image from the internet without paying attention to any different message it would possibly send, then you end up in a risk!
  • Your Logo must be unique: It is the face of your company, and is the first thing appears in the minds of people when the name of your company is mentioned. So, it is important to create a customized logo that reflects what your company stands for. Using some random image for your company’s logo will deprive you of the opportunity to have a logo that is customized and reflective of your company.

 

  • Imagine your logo is same as another! :  If you have taken the logo from the internet, the same image may be used by another person too. Now imagine, that your logo is same as your competitor with just a name change! Scary, isn’t it? Also, following the law of Karma, if you have taken someone’s logo, someone else can also copy your logo and you will have no legal hold over it since it is not your intellectual property. If you have an original logo that is copyrighted, then one may not dare steal it due to fear of legal consequences.

 

  • Not costly to create logos: With a bit of research, you are sure to find companies that provide logo designing service at reasonable and pocket-friendly rates. The advantages that professionally created customized logos provide easily outweigh the money you spend on it. Typically small-medium sized companies, start-ups, emerging brands and event organizers spend anyway between Rs. 7000 and 12000 for a corporate logo design.

 

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