What is the Law

Do you mean the results you get when using Google image search? It's just a search engine. The rights of the images themselves are a separate matter, just like the rights to text found by Google's regular search aren't influenced by the fact you found it by searching Google.

Just as you'd do with text, you'd need to go to the web page of each image to find out more about the rights. In general, unless a web page specifically states the image is in the public domain or can be used without permission, I'd assume someone holds copyright.

And just a helpful site to help you track an image... see TinEye. It can show you all the places a particular image is used on the web. I've used it successfully to trace an image back to the copyright holder so I could ask for usage rights.

British Museum: Coin with head of Alexander the Great. If you click on the image, it gives you link to investigate the terms and conditions for digital images.

Images have a copyright that lasts for 70 years, after the authors death. In England that can be extended to 125 years . You don't need to register a copyright , and lots of people aren't worried about protecting their work. But, to answer the question, can you use photos found on the internet , the sort answer is no.

What is the law?

Not to eat meat, that is the law. Are we not men?

What is the law?

Not to go on all fours, that is the law. Are we not men?

What is the law?

Not to spill blood, that is the law. Are we not men?

monti said:

Can anyone tell me the laws concerning using images from Google images in my work? Are they copyright ?

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Unless you KNOW the image isn't protected by copyright, don't use it. The last thing you want to do is find out the hard way that it is protected. Just because something is online, be it a short story, an article, or an image, does not mean it isn't protected by copyright.

Presume that any photograph on Google was taken by SOMEONE. That someone has rights to the image. Who that someone is, and whether they've relinquished those rights, then becomes the question. Unless you find the photo on a website that guarantees it's free to use because the copyright has been released by the photographer, presume it can't be used without permission. Even Google Earth satellite images belong to someone.

I think the first answer is the best.

There's no such thing as "images from Google Images." It's a search engine linking to images elsewhere. The fact that it shows up on Google Images tells you nothing about what copyright protection is in effect, nor who has that right.

It looks like Tineye provides a good tool for researching that.

Librarians (those I've worked with in the USA, at least) seem to be very knowledgeable about copyright and how to research it. You might try that, too.