Before using clip art or music files you’ve found on the Web, always get permission from the owner of the files. On most clip art sites, there will be a copyright statement about how the files may be used. If you do not find one, email the site owner. Often, however, the website publisher is not the owner of the copyright, and can not legally grant you any rights to use the file. Once you’ve been granted permission to use a file, be polite and do not link to the file on anyone else’s server (this is known at hotlinking or bandwidth theft.) Instead, always download the art or music file, and then upload to your own website server. Be a good Net citizen: do not hotlink!
For recommendations on free clip art sites, read my Free Clip Art column here.
