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An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

Reuse Policy

ShutterStock (see reuse policy).
Description

Use of Text, Photography and Audio-Visual Recordings

General Conditions

Information generated by the Department of Justice is in the public domain and may be reproduced, published or otherwise used without the Department’s permission. 

In general, this content — text, imagery, video and audio — is not copyrighted.

  • You may use this text, audio, video or photographs for educational or informational purposes, including photo collections, textbooks, public exhibits and Web pages.
  • Some materials may contain a copyright notice. It is your responsibility to identify the copyright owner and to obtain permission before making use of this material.
  • These materials may not be used to state or imply the endorsement by this office or by any office employee of a commercial product, service or activity, or used in any other manner that might mislead the public.
  • Please acknowledge us as the source of used material. Our preference for the credit line is:

The [insert the name of your organization] gratefully acknowledges the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, for allowing us to reproduce, in part or in whole, the [article/publication/video/audio presentation] [insert title]. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this video are those of the speaker(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

 Photography

Photographs are not protected by copyright unless noted. If copyrighted, permission should be obtained from the copyright owner prior to use. If not copyrighted, photographs may be downloaded, reproduced and distributed without further permission from the Department of Justice and may be used for educational and informational purposes, including photo collections, textbooks, public exhibits and Internet web pages.

Audio Recordings

Audio recordings are not protected by copyright unless noted. An audio recording may be downloaded, excerpted or reproduced and distributed, without further permission from the Department of Justice. However, use of a portion or segment of an audiotape, such as talent, narration or music, may infringe a right of publicity or copyright and permission should be obtained from the source.

Video Recordings

Videotape, video files and motion picture recordings are not protected by copyright unless noted. A recording may be reproduced and distributed without further permission from the Department of Justice. Copyrighted music or footage, which is incorporated in a production, may not be used unless permission is obtained from the copyright owner. While in most instances using non-copyrighted segments is permitted, use for commercial purposes of a portion or segment containing talent or a recognizable person may infringe a right of publicity and permission should be obtained from the talent or recognizable person. These guidelines also apply to any live webcast.

Use of Department of Justice and Office of Justice Programs Seals, Logos, and other Official Insignia

Additional information regarding the use of Department seals, logos, and other official insignia is available on the Department Legal Policies and Disclaimers webpage

Date Created: October 24, 2019