Are images on the products' own website copyrighted? I am looking to start a review based website for all the new electronic products and thought of using images from the company's websites. For example if i write an article about Nokia's new phone, can i use the phone's image for Nokia's website?
The content on any website is copyright protected. This applies not only to images, it applies to ALL content on the site. If you want to use product images the only safe way is to take photo's yourself, and use those. So Plain and simple answer is No you cant use thier images.
This is the correct legal answer, but from a practical standpoint most companies release some publicity stills that are clearly intended to be used in reviews, even if there is no explicit license agreement. They have had a professional industrial photographer take the photos with the most flattering angles and lighting for the product. In those cases, they would much rather have you use their publicity photo than take your own amatuerish one. A company would be shooting themselves in the foot if they release photos for marketing purposes and then sue for copyright infringement. Who would ever want to republish their images ever again? The problem is that it isn't often clear whether a photo falls into that category. Just grabbing images off the company's web site (unless it is a special section for press releases) is not a safe idea. When it doubt, as lcwadminbj said, the safest thing is to take your own photo.
Or write to them and ask them if you can use their publicity shots. I've done this for several products and pieces of software and I've never been refused yet although the replies aren't always that quick in coming back. By doing that you're in the clear.
Exactly. Just write to them and tell them you are doing a review and would like to use one or two images to support your review. Most companies won't even think twice...they'll grant you permission. Just remember to keep that permission letter in a file somewhere handy in case they forget and start sending legal notices (cease and desist letters) your way.
Are the images on Facebook or Mypace my copyright or the copyright of Facebook and Myspace? Can i claim copyright to the pictures i have there? If someone steal my pictures do i have PROVE that they are mine in some way?
agreed - and I will throw this in. If you are using the images for a good review, your not going to have a problem 99.9% of the time... if its a scathing review.. you may want to alter it, flip it, distort it, whatever you get the idea. sometimes, it is more productive to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.
did you create the images ? if so, they are yours, where ever they are - unless you gave rights to someone else.
if you are the one who created that images, then you have full rights. anyway try to use watermark tools to protect your images.