Product Photos and Directory List - HTML Forums

seejigong · 01-25-2009, 01:42 AM

Dear All - Nice to meet you new to the forum,

I am setting up a new website and am planning to have the website show different new products on the market. However, when I approached the manufacturers/brands asking them whether they would allow the use of their photos, they either don't respond or say no. Is there a way to get a picture of their products (aside from going to the local store and snapping the shot)? I couldn't imagine why they would not allow me to show their photos as I am not even giving a grading on their product, just an introduction.

On another note, I have compiled a local list of phone numbers and addresses of business that is in relation to the website I am doing. The compilation came from yellow pages. How could I use this list (which is not yet on my website) without infringing copyright laws? Would I have to call every company up (only 100 of them or so).

Thanks,
Seejigong

Horus_Kol · 01-26-2009, 01:00 AM

1. If they say no... well, there's no way around that... I am surprised that they would not allow you to use some images as part of a page on their product - many companies are happy for small images and screenshots to be used by magazines and websites, as long as it is in conjunction with an article about the product.

In fact, you don't always need explicit permission for this - but you can't use large images, or promote your own products/services with images of their products without permission.

2. Tricky - technically, you have used Yellow Pages as a source, and that is a possible infringement on copyright.

Also, publishing contact details for a business can put you on rocky ground - but as long as that information is already in the public domain (so helplines and customer service numbers should be alright - direct lines to a particular manager aren't, in general) then you can freely re-publish it, I think - local laws may vary.

bigcat1967 · 08-19-2009, 04:15 PM

Hey Horus_Kol - quick question along the same lines.

I've heard that you have to keep the picture of the products the same size that the company portrays - not a pixel larger or smaller.

Is this true or not?

Thx.

Horus_Kol · 08-19-2009, 07:16 PM

that entirely depends on the company and the situation - most of them have media guidelines... but you shouldn't really have to resize any images like that (especially as you will then have quality issues)