free-culture

ok...just read the free-culture ch 4 and 5. it is so hard to read on a computer....need it in my hands...ok i digress. is what we are doig considered a form of piracy? taking images from the internet. is it ok, because it is part of the public domain?
I think there are very fine lines that get crossed very easily.
also, did anyone hear of the flicker case with the girl. a company took her image..and used it in their ad. is that piracy?
has anyone heard how it endedup. It was on CNN about 2 weeks ago.
:)