Copyright & Content Use

Last updated: September 24, 2026

IONTB LLC provides local news and public-safety coverage for the Tampa Bay community. This policy explains how you may share our work, request permission to reuse it, and raise copyright concerns.

Ownership of content

Original articles, photographs, videos, graphics, and other original material created and owned by IONTB LLC are protected by copyright. Copyright in reader submissions, licensed material, agency-supplied images, and other third-party content remains with the respective rights holders unless separately transferred in writing. Publication on IONTB does not mean IONTB owns every item or can authorize its reuse.

Copyright protects original expression, such as an article’s wording or a photograph. It does not give IONTB ownership of the underlying news facts. Public-domain material remains available for use subject to any other applicable rights.

Sharing links and brief excerpts

You are welcome to share links to IONTB articles through social media, email, and other websites.

For text that IONTB owns, we also permit brief excerpts used to introduce or discuss an article, provided you clearly credit IONTB, link directly to the original article, preserve the meaning, and do not reproduce so much that your copy substitutes for reading the original. This permission does not include entire articles, photographs, videos, graphics, or material owned by others.

Credit or a link alone does not authorize copying material outside this permission. Do not imply that IONTB endorses your organization, product, or message.

Republishing and permission requests

Unless permitted by law or the limited excerpt permission above, obtain written permission before republishing IONTB-owned articles, photos, videos, or graphics, including on another website, social account, broadcast, advertisement, or commercial product.

Email [email protected] with the subject Content permission request. Include the article URL or a description of the material, where and how you intend to use it, the proposed duration, and your contact information. We will review the request and explain any applicable license terms or fee. A request or lack of response is not permission. For third-party material, permission may need to come directly from its owner.

Fair use and other lawful uses

Nothing in this policy restricts fair use or other uses permitted by applicable law. Fair use depends on the circumstances; there is no fixed word count or percentage that automatically makes a use lawful. See the U.S. Copyright Office’s fair-use guidance.

Reader photos, videos, and submissions

You retain copyright in material you submit. Only grant publishing permission if you own the material or are authorized by its owner. Receiving a file from someone else does not itself give you that authority.

When you select Yes to IONTB usage on our media-upload form and submit material you have authority to license, you grant IONTB LLC a nonexclusive, worldwide, royalty-free permission to reproduce, publish, display, and distribute that material on IONTB.com and IONTB’s social-media accounts for news reporting and related promotion of that coverage. This includes reasonable cropping, resizing, captioning, and editing that does not materially misrepresent the submission, and keeping published coverage in our archives. You may continue to use or license your own material.

This permission does not transfer ownership or authorize IONTB to sell or license your submission to other news outlets; that requires a separate agreement with the rights holder. If you select No, the upload does not grant publishing permission. We may review it as a tip and seek permission separately. A submission does not guarantee publication.

These terms apply to submissions made with this notice in place; earlier submissions remain subject to the permissions given at the time. For questions or requests about an existing submission, contact [email protected]. See our Privacy & Cookies policy for information about personal data.

Report a copyright concern

If you believe material on IONTB infringes your copyright, email [email protected] with the subject Copyright concern. Please provide:

Your name and contact information, and whether you are the rights holder or an authorized representative.
A description of the copyrighted work and a link or other information identifying the original, if available.
The exact IONTB page URL and identification of the photo, video, text, or other material at issue.
An explanation of why you believe the use is unauthorized and the action you are requesting.

We will review the concern and may request supporting information.