Using a photo of a product from the product companies website on my website?

[everything_webby]

Hi,

I have a website in which I give useful information to users. Some of that information includes personal recommendations of products I have used that I would recommend to others.

Currently I don't have any related photos of the product, however I would like to have. Can I use a picture of the product from the products own site as part of my content or is this illegal?

For example at present I say something along the lines of "From experience I would recommend product xyz by <website / company Name> as it provides..."

Currently I am not linking to the company in my text, does this change the use of their own images if I do?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[TotallySport]

you can't take a picture from someone else site and use it on yours without permission.

however if your reviewing a product, then the manufacturers are normally happy to provide images for you.

If your suggesting where you can get it and mentioning that company specifically they would normally happily let you use the image without issue.

The key is to ask nicely, and generally they will give you permission.

 

[everything_webby]

you can't take a picture from someone else site and use it on yours without permission.

however if your reviewing a product, then the manufacturers are normally happy to provide images for you.

If your suggesting where you can get it and mentioning that company specifically they would normally happily let you use the image without issue.

The key is to ask nicely, and generally they will give you permission.

Thanks for the information, this seems a reasonable way to go about things, I can see this approach working for smaller companies (i.e. contacting them and asking nicely) however does this work for larger multinational companies? I can't see them being very interested in taking the time to help...

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

Isn't there a thread running on here somewhere about Photographers copyright whereby they may have sold the image for use on the clients website only and that secondary use by third parties may be subject to an additional fee?

 

[TotallySport]

Thanks for the information, this seems a reasonable way to go about things, I can see this approach working for smaller companies (i.e. contacting them and asking nicely) however does this work for larger multinational companies? I can't see them being very interested in taking the time to help...

it depends, if your site has good rankings and high traffic, its effectly free advertising for them, and everyone loves free advertising.

You don't ask you don't get, big companies will normally have stock images, its no skin off their nose to give them to you to use for free publicity.

it all depends on how you sell it.