Google's Search by Image makes photo crowdsourcing more reliable

By Andrew Gibson

Google's Search by Image can help Web publishers detect whether
user-submitted photos are infringing on copyrights.

Asking readers to submit pictures can be a brilliant way to encourage participation on news websites and blogs. But before you fill your home page with strangers' scrapbooks, check whether the photos are violating copyrights.

Google's Search by Image might be the most efficient way to make sure John Doe isn't copying a photo from another website, slapping his byline on it and sending it to your inbox. The tool allows users to upload pictures and then scour the Web for pages containing the same image or similar ones. If you get a photo as an email attachment, drag it to your desktop, and then upload it to the search bar. You may discover that Doe's ostensibly brilliant photo might not be his at all.