Use a GPL-licensed image

Question

Can i use a GPL-licensed image on my website without making the code to the site GPL?

Answer 1

A GPL licensed Image? I would be really surprised to see such a thing, as the GPL was built to target program code specifically. Can you show a real-world example?

If you mean the GNU Documentation license, I think it's indeed difficult to use any such content on your own web site. From the Wikipedia article:

All derivative works must be licensed under the same license.

So it stands to reason that to use an image under the GFDL, you would have indeed to put the contents of your web site (not necessarily the technical means to run it, i.e. scripts and such) under the GFDL. It would not mean that you'd have to make your web site itself open source, but you would have to give every user the right to re-distribute its contents under the terms of the GFDL.

I'm not a lawyer; the above is my personal interpretation of the GFDL's license terms and I may be wrong.

If you really mean the GPL, refer to the answer given by @Pavel.

Answer 2

Can i use a GPL-licensed image on my website without making the code to the site GPL?

1. You can't.
2. This does not mean that you have to show the code of your website if you don't distribute the code to others. If you only let users view your site in a browser you can both be under GPL and not show GPL-ed source code to anybody. (Licensing policies for javascript code are still under debate).
3. Images are rarely licensed as GPL. Are you sure it is the case?
4. Anyway, you can just ask author for permission to use the image under other terms. For example, the author might have picked GPL just because he didn't know about the other, more appropriate licenses, such as one of those in Creative Commons.