Can You Use Canva for Publishing on Amazon KDP? | Canva's Licensing & Copyrights Explained
Summary
TLDRThis video addresses the common queries about using Canva for Amazon KDP publishing, clarifying the do's and don'ts based on Canva's licensing terms. It differentiates between free and Pro Canva content, explaining the licensing for each and the restrictions for Pro content in digital publications. The video also discusses the necessity of creating unique designs with Canva elements for commercial use and the implications of not owning exclusive copyright to Canva's stock content. It concludes with the creator's personal experience and advice on using Canva for KDP, including direct confirmation from Amazon KDP support regarding the use of licensed graphic elements.
Takeaways
- 😀 The video addresses concerns about using Canva for creating content intended for Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing).
- 🔍 The creator has researched Canva's licensing terms, help pages, and contacted Amazon KDP directly to clarify usage rights.
- 👑 Canva's free and Pro content have different licensing implications; Pro content requires a license for use, which is automatically granted for Pro account users.
- 🚫 For non-Pro users, each Pro content element used requires a separate one-off license purchase to remove watermarks.
- 📚 Canva allows the use of both free and Pro content for book and ebook creation, as outlined in their content license agreement.
- 🖥️ A specific limitation exists for Pro content used in digital publications: the total pixel count of Pro elements should not exceed 480,000.
- 🎨 Canva's licensing terms permit the use of created designs for personal and commercial purposes, including selling merchandise.
- ❌ It's prohibited to resell, redistribute, or take credit for standalone Canva content elements outside of a unique design.
- 📖 For book publishing on KDP, using Canva elements is allowed as long as they are part of a unique design and not used standalone.
- ⚖️ The video suggests that while you may not own exclusive copyright to Canva elements, you generally hold copyright for the overall unique design created with them.
- 💡 The creator has confirmed with Amazon KDP that using licensed graphic elements from Canva for book publishing is acceptable, provided one has the necessary licensing for commercial use.
Q & A
What is the main concern raised in the video regarding Canva and KDP publishing?
-The main concern is whether it is permissible to use Canva for creating content intended for Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) and what restrictions, if any, apply to the use of Canva's elements in such publications.
What is the difference between free and Pro content in Canva?
-Free content in Canva are elements without the crown symbol, and they can be used across multiple designs without additional cost. Pro content, indicated by a crown symbol, requires a Pro account subscription for license grants without extra cost, or a one-time content license purchase for each separate design for non-subscribers.
Can Canva Pro content be used for KDP purposes?
-Yes, Canva Pro content can be used for KDP purposes, but there are restrictions. If using Pro content, the design must not exceed 480,000 total pixels for digital or online publications to prevent unauthorized downloading and use of the Pro content.
What are the permitted uses of Canva content according to the content license agreement?
-The permitted uses include creating books, book covers, and ebooks, as well as using the designs for personal and commercial purposes, provided that the content is not used in a standalone manner but as part of a unique, overall design.
Does the video suggest that using Canva templates for KDP publishing is allowed?
-Yes, as long as the design is not a template in the sense of a predetermined layout for further editing by the end user, but rather a finished product like an ebook that does not require further editing.
What is the stance of Amazon KDP regarding the use of Canva elements in book publishing?
-Amazon KDP's stance, as confirmed by their representatives, is that as long as the necessary licensing for the use of graphic elements is held, users can check the 'I own the copyright' box during the book publishing process.
Does the video suggest that there is a risk of copyright infringement when using Canva elements for KDP publishing?
-The video suggests that the risk is relatively low, as long as the Canva elements are used to create a unique design and not on a standalone basis. However, it acknowledges that exclusive rights to the Canva elements do not belong to the user.
What is the advice given in the video for those who are concerned about using Canva for KDP publishing?
-The advice is to consider whether the potential use of the same Canva elements by others for different books is a concern. If not, the risk of using Canva elements is considered low. The video also suggests that users make an informed decision based on the provided information.
What alternative platforms are mentioned in the video for obtaining graphic elements?
-The video mentions platforms like Pixabay and Creative Fabrica as alternatives for obtaining graphic elements, noting that the licensing situation is similar to Canva in that users do not own the copyrights to the elements but have a license to use them.
What is the conclusion of the video regarding the use of Canva for KDP publishing?
-The conclusion is that while there are nuances and considerations, using Canva for KDP publishing is generally permissible as long as the elements are used in accordance with Canva's licensing terms and Amazon KDP's requirements.
Outlines
🎨 Canva for KDP Publishing: Clarifications and Restrictions
The video addresses the use of Canva for creating coloring books and children's storybooks for KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing). The creator clarifies that while Canva can be used for KDP purposes, there are certain restrictions and nuances to be aware of. The video is a result of the creator's research, interpretation of Canva's licensing terms, and direct communication with Amazon KDP. The distinction between free and Pro Canva content is explained, with Pro content requiring a separate license for each use in non-subscription accounts, while free content can be used across multiple designs without additional cost. The video emphasizes the importance of understanding Canva's licensing agreement, especially for those planning to publish ebooks, where Pro content must not exceed 480,000 total pixels to prevent unauthorized use.
📘 Canva Licensing and Commercial Use
This section delves into Canva's licensing requirements and restrictions, highlighting that Canva designs can be used for both personal and commercial purposes. It reiterates that standalone content, such as a single photo, cannot be used on its own for commercial purposes like printing on merchandise. To comply with Canva's licensing, users must create a unique design by combining multiple elements, text, or backgrounds. The video provides examples of what can and cannot be done with Canva for coloring books and storybooks. It also clarifies misconceptions about using Pro content for book publishing on KDP, explaining that an ebook is not considered a template and is thus not subject to the same restrictions as Canva templates.
📖 Copyright Ownership and KDP Publishing Rights
The paragraph discusses the complexities of copyright ownership when using Canva elements. It explains that while users have the copyright to their unique designs, the underlying Canva elements are owned by their original creators, and users have non-exclusive rights to use them. This means that users cannot claim exclusive rights to Canva elements. The video addresses concerns about using Canva content for KDP publishing, especially when print-on-demand services require confirmation of copyright ownership. It suggests that as long as users comply with Canva's licensing terms and do not use elements in a standalone manner, they should be able to use Canva content for KDP. The video also shares the creator's direct communication with Amazon KDP to confirm the stance on using licensed graphic elements for book publishing.
🔗 Final Thoughts on Canva for KDP and Alternatives
In the concluding part, the video summarizes the discussion on using Canva for KDP publishing, emphasizing that it comes down to a personal decision based on the information provided. The creator shares their positive experience with Canva and their intention to continue using it for KDP publishing. They also suggest that those uncomfortable with Canva's restrictions might consider other platforms like BookBols, for which a discount coupon is provided. The video reassures viewers that using licensed graphic elements from Canva or similar platforms should not pose a problem for KDP publishing, as long as the elements are part of a unique design and not used standalone. It ends with an encouragement for viewers to make informed decisions and to explore alternative design platforms if desired.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Canva
💡KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing)
💡Licensing Terms
💡Pro Content
💡Free Content
💡Watermark
💡Pixel Limitation
💡Standalone Content
💡Copyright
💡Non-Exclusive License
💡Amazon KDP Publishing Rights
Highlights
Canva can be used for KDP purposes with certain restrictions.
Free Canva content can be used across multiple designs without extra cost.
Pro Canva content requires a separate license for each design if not a Pro account user.
Pro account users get a Pro content license automatically with each Pro element added.
Canva's licensing terms allow for books and book covers creation.
For ebooks, Pro content used must not exceed 480,000 total pixels.
Canva designs can be used for personal and commercial purposes.
Standalone Canva content cannot be printed on merchandise for sale.
Multiple Canva elements must be layered to create a unique design for commercial use.
Canva templates with Pro content must remain within Canva for proper licensing.
Ebooks are not considered templates and are not subject to the same licensing restrictions.
No attribution to Canva or its designers is required in books using Canva elements.
Copyright ownership of Canva designs depends on the composition and third-party rights.
Canva users do not own exclusive rights to the underlying graphic elements.
Amazon KDP confirmed that using licensed graphic elements for commercial purposes is acceptable.
The decision to use Canva elements for KDP publishing is a personal one based on provided information.
Alternatives to Canva, such as other graphic platforms, also come with licensing and copyright considerations.
The risk of using Canva elements is considered low if users are comfortable with non-exclusive rights.
Transcripts
[Music]
hi everyone welcome back to my channel
so over the last few weeks I have
received a lot of questions and comments
ever since I posted my videos on how to
create a coloring book using canva and
how to create a children's story book
using canva and I've received a lot of
questions as to whether or not we're
allowed to use canva for KDP purposes
and if so what are some of the
restrictions that we need to bear in
mind so in today's video I'm going to
share with you my interpretation of what
we can and cannot do using canva that is
based on my research and reading through
all of their licensing terms as well as
some of their help pages and contacting
Amazon KDP directly and the answer is
not as simple yes or no so please make
sure you stay throughout the video
because there are a lot of nuances
regarding this that you need to be aware
of and before we get started I want to
remind you that I am not a copyright
lawyer so all of this information is
based on my research as well as my
personal interpretation and experiences
and I hope that you'll find this video
helpful and if so please don't forget to
give me a big Thumbs Up And subscribe to
my channel for more and let's get
started before I get into the details of
what you can and cannot do using canva I
want to First quickly explain to you the
difference between free versus Pro canva
content free content are the canva
elements without the little crown symbol
next to it and pro content are the canva
elements you see with the little crown
crown symbol next to it so let's start
off by talking about our Pro content
elements first from a licensing
perspective if you are a pro account
user with canva meaning you pay for a
monthly subscription with them then each
time you add a pro content element into
your design you will automatically be
granted a pro content license at no
extra cost so for example if you add
five Pro content elements into your
design you will automatically be granted
five separate Pro content licenses but
if you are not a pro account user
meaning you are using the free version
of canva then each Pro content element
you add to your design will be
watermarked and the only way to remove
the watermark is by purchasing a oneoff
Content license from canva which you can
use only in a single design what this
means is if you intend to use this piece
of pro content element across multiple
designs then you will actually need to
purchase a separate license for each
time that element is being used you
cannot use the same Pro content element
three times across three different
designs and only purchase one license
for it on the other hand for free
content elements regardless of whether
you are a pro account user or a free
account user you will automatically be
granted a license to use the free
content element across multiple designs
without any extra
cost now that we understand the
logistics of how canvas licensing Works
let's dive into canvas content license
agreement to see what we can and cannot
do in section five of the content
license agreement it lists out the
permitted uses of all content on canva
which would be inclusive of both free
and pro content elements as you can see
there are many permissible uses but what
I want to highlight to you is number six
and seven which would be the most
applicable to us from a KDP perspective
so you can see on number six it
specifically says that we could use
canva for books and book covers and in
number seven we are also allowed to use
it for things like ebooks scrolling down
further you will see a section 5A which
proceeds to describe a few limits on how
Pro content can be used specifically as
it relates to online SL digital
Publications if you're only planning to
publish a physical copy of your book I.E
a paperback or a hard cover then this
section would not be applicable to you
however if you're planning on publishing
an ebook then you will have to comply
with this section this section basically
says that you're allowed to use Pro
content for your online or digital
Publications such as a web page blog or
ebook as long as none of the pro
elements used in your design exceeds
480,000 total pixels for example 600x
800 pixels the intention of this
limitation is essentially to prevent
other people from downloading the pro
content elements from your online
digital Publications and then using it
elsewhere outside of canva without
proper licensing aside from the formal
content license agreement canva also has
another page which explains their
licensing requirements and restrictions
in a more simplistic and illustrative
manner so let's take a look at some of
these
details scrolling down to the the what's
allowed section you will see that the
designs you create in canva can be used
for both personal and Commercial
purposes and the second bullet point
essentially reconfirms that you can sell
merchandise with your canva design on it
number three that says Don't resell
redistribute or take credit for Content
provided through canva basically means
you should never take a standalone
content element from canva and resell it
on a different platform for example you
should always just leverage canva
elements and incorporate it into your
overall design which should be a
creative unique design of yours and then
you would be allowed to use it for
commercial purposes and print it on your
merchandise scrolling down further on
the section relating to using content in
your designs it says by using content in
a design you're creating something
unique once you do there are lots of
things you can do with your Creations
however Standalone content I.E a photo
used on its own without any other Design
Elements has restrictions for example it
can't be printed on products or
merchandise for sale so what this means
is as you can see in the example here
they're showing you that let's say this
picture is one canva Element you cannot
just take that one photo and slap it on
a mug and call it a day same thing you
wouldn't just take one element and slap
it on your book cover or your page and
call it a day in order to use canva
elements in accordance with their
licensing agreement you must add your
own creativity and layer multiple
different elements text or fonts or
backgrounds to create a truly unique
design of yours and once you do that you
are allowed to use it for commercial
purposes and you can put it on your book
cover you can put it in your books or
you can even put it on a mug and sell
that so in the context of our coloring
book and story book here are some
examples of what you can and cannot do
and then coming back here the third
paragraph is what we already discussed
previously regarding maximum pixels for
pro content used in digital or online
Publications such as ebooks and this
whole cont content here is further
reiterated in their FAQ section further
below which says can I sell products or
merchandise with my design on it the
answer is yes all of our photos fonts
and Graphics can be used to create
designs for printing on products for
sale such as t-shirts mugs books and
other merchandise as long as you comply
with our license please note that you
cannot sell sand alone prints of Cana
content such as a print out of a stock
photo without any other design elements
on say a t-shirt So based on all that we
have read so far it is telling us that
as long as we do not use any canva
elements on a standalone basis but
instead layer multiple canva elements
fonts and backgrounds to create an
overall unique design then we are
allowed to use those designs for
commercial purposes such as putting it
on a book to sell on Amazon KDP but we
are not done yet there are a few other
things we still need to
clarify firstly there are some
restrictions when it comes to using
canva templates which is further
explained in canvas licensing video here
if your template design includes Pro
content you must make sure the template
is kept in canva that is the template is
a canva template sharing that directs
users back to canva not as a separate
downloadable digital file the reason why
I want to highlight this part is because
there is often some misconception that
this means we cannot use Pro content for
publishing books on KDP or any other
platform outside of canva however this
is far from the truth because there is
actually a difference between a book and
a template according to canvas's help
page titled using canva to design
digital and physical products for sale
here a template is defined as a design
that has a predetermined layout and
style which is intended to be further
edited or customized by an end user to
produce the required final document a
good example would be a wedding
invitation where you will need to fill
out the details of the event in order to
use it it then goes to specifically say
that an ebook is not a template because
it is a finished product that does not
require further editing by the end user
in order to use it so this part
basically explains very clearly that the
restrictions relating to the use of
canva templates do not apply to our
situation here for book publishing for
KDP which is good
news the second item I wanted to touch
on because I have seen a lot of
questions about it is whether we need to
attribute canva and their designer in
our books for using their graphic
elements based on this section in canvas
licensing explanation page right here
there is no requirement to do that
although you can do so if you choose
to up until now everything we looked at
looks like we are in De clear to use
canva elements for KDP publishing
however I'm now going to talk through
one specific item on canvas's
requirements that is a bit more
controversial this is outlined not on
their actual content license agreement
but on their help page titled copyright
ownership of designs made in canva so in
this section that says who owns a
copyright in a design made in canva it
says this depends on its composition
generally speaking if you're the creator
of an original design you're also its
copyright holder but if you use
thirdparty content I.E stock content
from the canva library in your design
then your ownership is subject to those
thirdparty rights it then proceeds to
say canva gives you non-exclusive
licenses to use stock content in your
designs including photos Graphics videos
fonts and music for a range of permitted
uses this includes the ability to sell
certain types of designs that contain
content and so this basically says that
if you have used canva elements to
create a unique design of your own then
that overall unique design you would
have in a sense the copyright to it but
the underlying content or the elements
that you use you wouldn't have exclusive
rights to those because those
technically belong to the artists who
originally created those for canvas so
you have the non-exclusive right to use
those elements to create your overall
design and then your overall design is
generally speaking you have the
copyright for that but it is a bit more
complicated as you scroll down further
the print on demand service I'm using to
print my t-shirt and I guess in our case
would be books requires me to confirm
that I am the copyright owner of my
design can I do that so on this help
page it actually says some thirdparty
print services may require you to agree
that that you own copyright in any
design you upload to their service if
that's the case you can't use canva
content in those designs because you
don't own the copyright in that content
you only have a license to use it so if
the print service only requires you to
agree that you have the right to use
your design that contains canva content
then the print service is okay to use as
long as you're complying with our
licensed terms I.E you aren't trying to
sell content on a standalone basis
you're responsible for checking the
terms of thirdparty websites as canva is
not able to advise you on these and this
is potentially a problem for us because
as some of you may already know as part
of the KDP book upload process there's a
part that asks us to confirm our
publishing rights which says I own the
copyright and hold the necessary
publishing rights based on that you may
decide that you're no longer comfortable
to use canva elements for KDP anymore
and that is completely reasonable as
well however before you decide on what
you feel comfortable doing I would like
to share a few additional thoughts for
your
consideration I have heard many people
say that given they are no longer
comfortable using canva elements that
they will instead choose to use graphic
elements from other platforms such as
pixabay or creative Fabrica however I
think what we need to realize is that
this is actually no different from using
canva elements because you would not own
the copyrights to those graphic elements
either and would only have a license to
use them even if you hire an illustrator
to draw your illustrations for you A lot
of times the artist will retain the
copyright and you are only given the
rights to use their artwork in your book
so realistically unless you're drawing
your own illustrations which obviously
would be amazing you really would not
own the copyrights to the artwork
regardless of what platform you download
your graphic elements
from secondly I believe the real reason
why canva had put this specific
restriction there is also because
technically none of us would have excl
exclusive rights to the use of any of
their graphic elements so in the
situation where I use this bear for my
story and someone else happens to use
the same bear for their story I won't be
able to say to KDP that the other person
is infringing on my copyrights because
neither of us have exclusive rights to
use that bear now if that person copies
your entire book completely and not just
use the same bear graphic element then
that would be a different story and you
would have a much stronger grounds to
say to KDP that your copyrights have
been infringed so I would say if you
okay with would potentially having
someone else use the same graphic
elements for their book which will
likely have a completely different style
and plot anyway then I think the risk of
using canva graphic elements is
relatively low I also think that by
putting that restriction there canva is
also just covering their bases so that
they would not be liable in the unlikely
situation where someone gets suspended
from their KDP account because they have
claimed to own the copyright to their
book which contains canva
elements
to confirm what Amazon KDP stance is on
this I have actually communicated
directly with them to confirm whether we
can check out the I own the copyright
checkbox If part of our design includes
graphic elements for which we have
purchased online and have a license to
use for commercial purposes to be safe I
have confirmed it with two different
agents on two separate days just to make
sure I receive a consistent response so
I asked them I just have a general
question I wanted to reconfirm as part
of the book publishing process on KDP
there is a check boox that says I own
the copyright and I hold necessary
publishing rights if I am publishing a
book for which I have leveraged graphic
elements purchased online say from canva
or creative Fabrica which also comes
with the appropriate licensing required
for commercial use these graphic
elements are then used creatively
together to create a unique design for
my book cover or book illustrations I.E
no graphic element is used on a
standalone basis would I be able to
click on the check box that says I own
the copyrights and I hold necessary
publishing rights and let's see what
their answer is so they confir back
saying if you have purchased the images
and hold the necessary licensing then
yes and then they of course caveat that
if there are any issues identified
during the review our review team will
reach out to you for additional
information and supporting documents
which is baau for them because as you
may remember there's a 48 Hours review
process before your book gets published
on Amazon KDP based on these responses
it does not appear that they have any
concerns with this which is great news I
personally also have books published on
KDP which have been created leveraging
both free and pro canva elements and to
date thankfully have not run into any
problems at all however at the end of
the day this will be a personal decision
that you will need to make for yourself
but I hope I have laid out the facts and
considerations clearly enough so that
you can make an informed decision I
personally really love canva and will
definitely continue to use canva but if
after hearing all facts you feel like
you might want to take a little break
from canva and try something different
for a while then there's always the
option of using some other applications
such as book bolbs which I've actually
linked a 20% discount coupon in the
video description below but overall I
hope you enjoyed this video and if you
found this video to be helpful to you
please don't forget to give me a big
Thumbs Up And subscribe to my channel
for more and I'll see you next time
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