Images play a huge role in how a vet website looks and feels. They help build trust, show personality and make your clinic feel welcoming.
But there’s a growing issue many clinics aren’t aware of:
Using images from the web without the correct licence can put your clinic at risk.
AI hasn’t just changed how people search online. It has also improved the speed and scale at which image matching tools can detect where images are being used without the correct licence.
Why this is becoming a bigger issue
Image matching tools can scan the internet and match images back to their original sources. Recent advances in AI have made this process faster, more automated, and easier to scale, which increases visibility of unlicensed usage.
In many cases, clinics don’t realise there’s a problem until they receive a notice asking them to remove the image or pay a licensing fee.
Most of the time, this isn’t intentional. It happens because:
- websites were built years ago
- images were sourced from Google searches
- stock images were added without licence records
- past suppliers didn’t hand over asset details
- images licensed for social media use only were reused on websites
Common high-risk image sources
Some image sources are more risky than others:
- Images copied from Google Image search
- Photos taken from other clinic websites
- Stock images without proof of purchase or licence
- “Free” images used without checking licence terms
- AI-generated images used without clarity on usage rights
- AI-generated images used without understanding the platform’s commercial usage terms
If you don’t know where an image came from or whether it’s licensed for commercial use, it’s worth reviewing.
What happens if an image isn’t licensed
Outcomes vary, but can include:
- requests to remove the image
- fines or licence fees charged
- formal copyright notices
- racing to replace problem assets
This can be stressful, particularly when the issue isn’t discovered until a notice is received.
What clinics can do
The good news is this is manageable and you can start by:
- reviewing where your website images came from
- checking whether licences exist
- identifying any images you’re unsure about
- replacing or licensing images where required
You don’t have to do this alone, Petpack offers a Website Asset Review for vet clinics, where we:
- review your website images
- flag assets that may not have clear licensing
- explain what action (if any) is needed
- help you replace or source compliant images
We review and flag potential risks based on available information, but responsibility for image licensing and compliance remains with the clinic.