is it allowed? say if i need info such as text, pictures etc. am i allowed to copy them from the merchants site? Thanks, SP360
ONLY if the company says you can. What I do is go ahead and create the page on my site, THEN write and ask if the company has any suggestions for improvement. Quite often I get the nod PLUS the company will direct its vendors to my site to see an example of how it can be done.
Agreed - Also will add that most publishers do NOT like when you copy a huge chunk of the pages salescopy directly - and YOU do not benefit as duplicate content will get you nabbed or US nabbed. Pictures and graphics are usually applauded to use and or banners/support material that a pub could/should offer - if there is no support material it may be difficult for you to promote without any hassle/interruptions to create assets i.e. case in point. Short answer: Don't copy 'copy' - be original with content and it will benefit you both.
I'm always a little worried about duplicate content. In the past, after a sudden decline in rankings, I did research and the only thing I could come up with was a duplicate content issue. But who knows for sure with google. Nonetheless, I always try to at the least re-word the text. And like talewins said, I'd always make sure to clear it with the merchant.