Today’s tip comes courtesy of an email to internetmarketing@marketamerica.com. A reader wrote in and said, “I saw a photo I liked on another website, can I use this for my profile photo on say Twitter or for a Facebook group?
The simple answer to this question is “no, you can’t use this image.” Any image you see online that you didn’t create or take yourself is the property of the original owner. The only time you are allowed to use an image or a photo is when you have permission from the owner to use this image (under their terms obviously). Here are a few examples to help you out.
Example 1 – Someone posted a photo on Facebook that I want to add to my page, can I download the image and re-post it?
Answer: No, if someone else posted the photo, you cannot download it and re-post the photo as your own. One thing you can do though is to use the ‘share’ feature on Facebook to post a link back to the original photo. This way you keep yourself out of trouble!
Example 2 – I attended a specific College, can I use their logo?
Answer: No, just because you graduated from a college or university, you aren’t allowed to use their logo unless they have granted you permission to use it (be sure to check the terms for using the image). Some places let you use the photo, but for non-commercial use, which means you can’t use it to promote a business, etc…
Example 3 – Am I allowed to use product images from my Marketamerica.com website?
Answer: Yes, even though you do not expressly own the rights to the products, Market America has granted you a limited license to use its product images. By product images, this means Market America-branded products. It does not mean products from retail stores or retail store logos. To learn more about how you can use such product images, remember to consult your Career Manual!
If you’ve still got questions about using images, or just have general questions, send an email to internetmarketing@marketamerica.com. Have a great weekend everyone!
Sincerely,
Your Internet Marketing Manager