CREATIVE COMMONS: Yahoo Launches Creative Commons Search

Yahoo continues to amaze. They just launched a beta Creative Commons search tool that allows you to find web content that has a Creative Commons license. Most stuff on the web has a full copyright, "this search helps you find content published by authors that want you to share or reuse it, under certain conditions." It's great to see a giant like Yahoo embracing Creative Commons.

I am always on the hunt for cheap or free photos of Dubya, Congress, or other symbols of questionable authority to use in design work for clients. It's hard to find photos and other media that don't come with expensive licensing agreements from Getty or AP. My advice, try searching on the Creative Commons website or Archive.org and if that doesn't work try searching on Federal agency sites. Most images on U.S. Federal Government web pages are in the "public domain" (which means they have no copyright restrictions). Here's a good resource for finding public domain photos on agency sites. (The thumbnail of Bush is from the Air Force website.)