The skill and its purpose
Media can help explain a product, but finding a photograph or drawing does not establish permission to copy, modify or publish it. A rights record should identify the asset, owner or licence source, permitted use and relevant conditions. Product facts and image permissions are different records. Private customer details or identifying images can also require separate publication decisions.
Work through the decision
Give the media asset a stable reference and record its source, rights holder where confirmed, licence or attributable permission, permitted channels, modification conditions and expiry where applicable. Keep unconfirmed rights clearly unresolved. Link the asset version to the intended publication. Use an original illustration or authoritative link when copying permission is unavailable; do not treat a thumbnail or public webpage as an unlimited media licence.
Practical exercise — fictional
A fictional contributor wants to reuse a manufacturer’s display photograph in a public guide. The product facts are available, but the image licence is not confirmed. Prepare a rights request and an alternative original diagram plan. Explain why citing the manufacturer does not by itself establish permission to reproduce the photograph.
Take it to the next job
- Identify exact media version and source.
- Record attributable permission and conditions.
- Keep customer and media permissions separate.
- Choose permitted alternatives when rights remain unknown.
Try the decision
The exercise stays in this session unless you choose to save it.
