The legality of using an image

I have a client who is a writer. So the website I designed for her is basically a portfolio, reprints of her various articles in printed magazines and online magazines and blogs, as well as any images that accompany the articles. We include the images that the publications print/upload with the articles. We include scans of the magazine cover it was a print article. We also include a link to the online version if there is one.

I've started to wonder if it legal for us to include those images? I would assume that reprinting her own words is also legal, although perhaps if those words were bought by a client then are they owned by the client and do we need to get their permission to reprint??

Thanks,
Emily

Generally speaking, you need to get permission to reproduce anything... text, images, etc. Depending on how she was contracted to work for the publication company, what she wrote may belong to the company. Many times, an employer will have an Independent Contractor sign some sort of agreement, stating that anything the contractor does for the company, belongs to the company. However, there are those that may not have her sign anything, in which case, she can reproduce her text. As for images though, if the company (or someone for the company) took the picture, it most likely belongs to the company.

If she's a writer, see how she does work for others... is it entirely freelance? No contracts signed? Is she an actual employee? etc...

Whomever the image belongs to its not your client's. It's definitely under copyright. The owner of the copyright may or may not be the publication. Either way you would need the (c) owner's permission, whomever it is.

you definitely need a release. get one!