Hi, I have a few product review websites. When looking at many other websites that are similar to my own I'm always finding that they have stock pictures of the products they are reviewing. My question is, am I allowed to use product images used from the manufacturer's website? Is it generally accepted that this is allowed, or is there a place where product images can be used from? Thanks for any help.
Legally you generally need permission to use any photo you did not take. Most manufacturers are not going to do anything if you use a photo from their site (although they could). You are much more likely to have infringement problems if you use a photograph taken from a competitor or from a site other than the manufacturers. It is always safer to get permission for any photo you are going to use.