Using a public image or video is not automatically permission to republish it. Before monetizing a page, identify who owns each image, clip, logo, excerpt, and description; confirm the license or permission; and follow any attribution and use conditions. A link to the original source does not by itself grant the right to copy the material. Keep a record of licenses and permissions, including scope and expiration where relevant.
Google’s Publisher Policies state that content monetized with Google ad code must comply with publisher requirements, including rules against intellectual-property abuse. The policy text is the authority for the current rule. A publisher is responsible for the content on pages where ad code appears; review user submissions and outbound links as well as the main article.
Example: A site embeds a video after receiving permission from the creator, but the creator later sells rights and a new owner sends a claim. The publisher should preserve the original permission, dates, and terms, then review the claim and the applicable platform process. Do not assume that an old informal message settles every later rights question; seek qualified legal advice for disputes.
For original work, state whether a photo is yours, licensed, or supplied by a contributor when that matters to context. For quotations, use only what is needed and provide attribution; do not republish full articles under a short intro. Remove or replace material when permissions cannot be confirmed.
Use SiteReadyScore to prioritize pages for a public-content audit, but do not treat a clean scan as proof of copyright ownership. The tool cannot verify licenses or rights agreements. Review the source records and Google’s current Publisher Policies directly.