# Media & licensing

> Using images and audio you're allowed to share.

## What & why

Images and audio make a deck warmer and, for some subjects, do the teaching outright.
But a published deck is shared with strangers, so every file in it has to be one you're
allowed to share. Getting this right once, as you add the media, is far easier than
untangling it after the deck is live.

## The rule

> Use only media you have the right to share, and **record where each file came from**.
> When you're unsure, don't use it.

Three safe sources, in order of ease:

1. **Your own** — photos you took, images you made. You already hold the rights.
2. **Public domain** — old works whose copyright has expired, or files explicitly
   released to the public domain.
3. **Wikimedia Commons** and similar libraries — but check the licence on the file's
   own page. Many files are free to reuse; some ask for **attribution** (credit the
   author), and a few are more restrictive. The licence lives on the _file page_, not
   in the category it sits in.

For each file, keep a note of the **source page URL**, the author, and the licence.
If a file asks for attribution, put the credit in the card's details. Recording the
source as you go is what makes the [publish checklist](https://www.deckberry.com/creators/guide/workflow/publish-checklist/)'s
"every media source recorded?" a quick yes instead of an archaeology project.

**Don’t**

An image dropped in from a web search, no idea who made it or whether you may
use it. If it's copyrighted, the whole deck is at risk.

**Do**

A Wikimedia Commons photo, CC-BY, with the file-page URL and author saved and
the credit added to the card's details.

One nuance worth knowing: a plain flag or simple diagram on Commons is usually public
domain, but a _detailed_ illustration — an ornate coat of arms, a rich drawing — may
be the illustrator's own licensed work. Check each file, not the folder.

## When it applies

Every image and audio clip you add — Rich media cards especially. Beyond licensing,
deck content has to stay suitable for a general audience: nothing violent, sexual, or
profane. Deckberry's app-store rating depends on it, and a single deck that breaks it
puts every deck at risk. If a file wouldn't be fine in a classroom, leave it out.

When in doubt about a file's rights or suitability, the safe move is always the same:
find another file, or teach the point without it.

## Related

- [Rich media](https://www.deckberry.com/creators/guide/card-types/rich-media/)
- [Publish checklist](https://www.deckberry.com/creators/guide/workflow/publish-checklist/)
- [Planning a deck](https://www.deckberry.com/creators/guide/building/planning/)

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[Read this guide on Deckberry](https://www.deckberry.com/creators/guide/building/media-and-licensing/)