copyrightNotice

copyrightNotice · Recommended by Google

Appears in

• Photograph

What is it?

copyrightNotice is a text field that identifies who owns the copyright for a photograph or other creative work. It appears in image license metadata and tells search engines the legal owner of the image, enabling Google to display the Licensable badge in Google Images and helping AI systems attribute visual content correctly.

Why this matters for AEO

When a user asks "who owns this photo?" or an AI engine needs to attribute an image it references in a response, copyrightNotice provides the authoritative ownership statement. AI engines use this field alongside creditText and creator to construct proper attribution. Without it, AI systems may omit attribution or misidentify the rights holder.

What the specs say

Schema.org: Text. Text of a notice appropriate for describing the copyright aspects of this Creative Work, ideally indicating the owner of the copyright for the Work. schema.org/copyrightNotice

Google: Recommended. "The copyright notice for claiming the intellectual property for this photograph. This identifies the current owner of the copyright for the photograph." Once any of creator, creditText, copyrightNotice, or license is specified, the other three become Recommended. Google Image License Metadata

How to find your value

• Image metadata — IPTC/EXIF copyright field
• Photo agency — License terms on download page
• Client contract — Copyright assignment clause
• Stock photo site — Attribution line on image detail page
• Photographer website — Footer or About page copyright statement

Format: © [Year] [Owner Name]. All rights reserved. or the owner's preferred copyright statement.

Format and code

Type: Text (plain string)

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "ImageObject",
  "contentUrl": "https://example.com/photos/mountain-sunrise.jpg",
  "copyrightNotice": "© 2024 Jane Photographer. All rights reserved.",
  "creditText": "Jane Photographer",
  "creator": {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": "Jane Photographer"
  },
  "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
}

Common formats:

• Standard copyright — "© 2024 Jane Photographer. All rights reserved."
• Organization copyright — "© 2024 Reuters. All rights reserved."
• Creative Commons — "© 2024 Jane Photographer. Licensed under CC BY 4.0."
• Simple ownership — "Copyright 2024 National Geographic"

The © symbol is optional. "Copyright" spelled out is equally valid.

Webflow implementation

Static pages

Add the image license JSON-LD in Page Settings > Custom Code > Footer Code:

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "ImageObject",
  "contentUrl": "https://yoursite.com/photos/hero-image.jpg",
  "copyrightNotice": "© 2024 Your Studio Name. All rights reserved.",
  "creditText": "Your Studio Name",
  "license": "https://yoursite.com/license"
}
</script>

CMS template pages

Create a Plain Text field (e.g., copyright-notice) for each image in your CMS collection:

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "ImageObject",
  "contentUrl": "{{wf {"path":"photo","type":"PlainText"} }}",
  "copyrightNotice": "{{wf {"path":"copyright-notice","type":"PlainText"} }}",
  "creditText": "{{wf {"path":"credit-text","type":"PlainText"} }}"
}
</script>

In Schema HQ

Schema pulls copyrightNotice from CMS copyright field and ensures it publishes alongside the related image license metadata fields (creditText, creator, license). Schema HQ flags incomplete license metadata sets during validation.

Real examples

Google Search Central (source):

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org/",
  "@type": "ImageObject",
  "contentUrl": "https://example.com/photos/1x1/black-labrador-puppy.jpg",
  "license": "https://example.com/license",
  "acquireLicensePage": "https://example.com/how-to-use-my-images",
  "creditText": "Labrador PhotoLab",
  "creator": {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": "Labrador Photographer"
  },
  "copyrightNotice": "© 2024 Labrador PhotoLab"
}

rankgear.com (source):

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Photograph",
  "name": "Mountain Sunrise",
  "contentUrl": "https://example.com/photos/mountain-sunrise.jpg",
  "creator": {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": "Jane Photographer"
  },
  "copyrightNotice": "2024 Jane Photographer. All rights reserved.",
  "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
}

Related fields

• contentLocation — where the photograph was taken
• creator — who created the photograph
• license — URL to the license terms
• creditText — short attribution text for display

FAQ

What is the difference between copyrightNotice and creditText?

copyrightNotice is the legal ownership statement ("© 2024 Reuters. All rights reserved."). creditText is the short attribution string displayed alongside the image ("Photo: Reuters"). Both can reference the same entity, but they serve different purposes: legal claim vs. display credit.

Does copyrightNotice trigger the Licensable badge in Google Images?

Not alone. The Licensable badge requires license (a URL to license terms) as the primary trigger. Once license is present, Google recommends also providing copyrightNotice, creditText, and creator for complete metadata. All four fields working together give Google the full picture needed for the badge.

Should copyrightNotice include the copyright year?

Including the year is standard practice and helps establish when copyright protection began. Use the year the photograph was first published or created. For ongoing publication (e.g., editorial images), use the year of first publication.