When I started this project, the main objective was to provide a free source of beautiful animal pictures. As the FVZ developed I realized that content was as important as the images and therefore started adding vital information and statistics for each of the animals. I gathered pictures and information from a variety of different Internet sites but I was especially careful not to include any copyrighted information. This was not very hard to do as the images were readily available everywhere that I looked. Not a single image that I collected had any copyright attached or noted.
Imagine my surprise when I received email telling me that some of the images contained in the FVZ were property of the Smithsonian Institution. This was very troubling to me as I had made every possible effort to obtain images that were not the property of someone else. After consulting with a few "legal eagles" (yes, that was intended as a joke) I find that because The Foutch Virtual Zoo is a private collection of images and text I am not in any trouble. I am only aware of a few copyrighted images that are housed herein. I will encourage all private collectors to obtain whatever images that they desire. I will discourage the use of any image housed in the FVZ for obtaining profits. I am not the copyright police, but I have learned a hard lesson.
Thank you for visiting The Foutch Virtual Zoo. Enjoy your stay.
