# How to use other websites pictures?



## Rbriggs82 (Jul 9, 2012)

So I'm working on a blog post that's going to require a lot of pics (mainly from bigger home design sites) I have some of them that are my own but still need a good amount. If I were to use a pic from another website and credit them at the bottom with a link is that considered acceptable. I've never used anyone else's pictures before so I'm not well versed on the proper etiquette. 

Thanks!


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## Rbriggs82 (Jul 9, 2012)

Just to clarify I'm not going to pass off the pictures as my own work. It's just to show different Sherwin Williams colors in a space.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

I would bet it would be a good idea to first get permission from the orig site where you found them. Some may be stock photos for which they paid, and you need to have permission from the source. Some will say, "No problem, use it at your pleasure"

If you were just hot linking a photo here and NOT for commercial gain, I have a feeling the copyright laws are a little different than for using pix on your site as promotional content. 

But what do I know, I've never even been a lawyer in a school play (I was a Latin speaking Roman prostitute in 1967)


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## Rbriggs82 (Jul 9, 2012)

daArch said:


> I would bet it would be a good idea to first get permission from the orig site where you found them. Some may be stock photos for which they paid, and you need to have permission from the source. Some will say, "No problem, use it at your pleasure"
> 
> If you were just hot linking a photo here and NOT for commercial gain, I have a feeling the copyright laws are a little different than for using pix on your site as promotional content.
> 
> But what do I know, I've never even been a lawyer in a school play (I was a Latin speaking Roman prostitute in 1967)


It's not for promotional reasons. The blog post premise is my favorite / most popular Sherwin Williams colors. I'm trying to do around 10 per category, whites, beige, yellow, ect. Which would mean a lot of asking for photos from many sites that I'm pretty sure the pics aren't even theirs in the first place. None of these are from other painters websites and pretty much all can found on Pinterest. 

Do you think I run into issues if I make clear that they aren't my photos and credit the source from where they came with a link?


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## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

I'd definitely do some research on this. There's lots of info on the web about the legal concept of "fair use".

A friend of mine who's a dog breeder found pictures of her dogs being used on calendars, but she'd never been asked for permission. She sued them. I never did ask her what she got in terms of compensation.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

Rbriggs82 said:


> So I'm working on a blog post that's going to require a lot of pics (mainly from bigger home design sites) I have some of them that are my own but still need a good amount. If I were to use a pic from another website and credit them at the bottom with a link is that considered acceptable. I've never used anyone else's pictures before so I'm not well versed on the proper etiquette.
> 
> Thanks!


I know there are some ( mostly past ) members here who are very good at this:whistling2:


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## Rbriggs82 (Jul 9, 2012)

Wildbill7145 said:


> I'd definitely do some research on this. There's lots of info on the web about the legal concept of "fair use".
> 
> A friend of mine who's a dog breeder found pictures of her dogs being used on calendars, but she'd never been asked for permission. She sued them. I never did ask her what she got in terms of compensation.


Now that I can definitely see as an issue, they were directly profiting from it. 

This is more like, Antique White is a nice color and this pic shows how it looks.


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## Admin (Jan 4, 2010)

Using pictures without permission is NEVER okay. 
http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html

Alot of bloggers learned in the past few years why it is not okay.
http://www.blogher.com/bloggers-beware-you-can-get-sued-using-photos-your-blog-my-story 

If you need images, there are a lot of stock photo sites where you can get them at a very low cost. Alternative is to grab a camera and go get some!


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Ryan,

First remember, all I say is strictly OPINION.

I would think, (always dangerous when I do), that if you are doing this to give examples of paint companies colors, you could contact the companies and ask them for room settings of that color and they would give you them with their blessings.

I know many hangers who have used company pix of room sets. I have just assumed that they contacted the company and the company supplied approved pix. All of them have stated the company and the patterns.


The legal atmosphere of "intellectual rights" is fairly dicey. I would think (ther's that dangerous word again) that as soon as you say "this is Ben Moore's Linen white........" you would be subject to gaining BM's permission.

Obviously lawyers would be better help than I. 


One caveat as to your goal, colors are NOT accurate when viewed on monitors.


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## Rbriggs82 (Jul 9, 2012)

Yeah I think I'm just gonna table this idea for now until I have enough of my own images to use. 

It's really not worth the hassle for a silly little blog post. If all I had to do was give credit then okay but most of the images I have found are from sites that give credit then that site gives another credit and so on. Getting to the original source for 30+ pics just doesn't warrant the effort involved.

I'll try emailing SW with of a list of the colors I plan to use and see if they will send me images. They prolly won't even answer but that at least is worth a shot. 

Thanks guys/gals!


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## Rbriggs82 (Jul 9, 2012)

This is what I was kinda going for, obviously with my own color choices.
http://www.homebunch.com/the-best-benjamin-moore-paint-colors/
As you can see at the bottom they credit each site, I don't know if they got permission for them or not. I just wanted to check if that was enough, apparently not, and Crickets blogher link was pretty scary to say the least.


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## DrakeB (Jun 6, 2011)

As utterly rampant as using other people's photos is on the internet, it is quite outside of legal (in most countries). That doesn't stop 99.99999% of people from just doing it anyways, but there you have it.

I've wanted to do something similar myself but struggled to find pictures to back up my ideas. BM has some available, but they _definitely_ don't for all of their 3,500 colors- I'd guess more like about 100 of them. This is probably the same thing you'll hear back from SW (like you said, if you hear back at all).


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## I paint paint (May 4, 2014)

daArch said:


> But what do I know, I've never even been a lawyer in a school play (*I was a Latin speaking Roman prostitute in 1967*)


Q. How is that any different than today?

A. daArch speaks english now too…

:jester:

(Too much? Too obvious? About right?)


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

I paint paint said:


> Q. How is that any different than today?
> 
> A. daArch speaks english now too…
> 
> ...



yah but of latin that could have been learned for me time long ago will have been more better than the english which is presently of my daily native speech

Pigo, Pigere, Sqweeli, Gruntus.


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## RCP (Apr 18, 2007)

In the article Cricket linked there are good explanations and resources for using pics correctly.
Google also has some tools to help, use them to find pictures:

For Sherwin Williams, use the contact form here and ask them for a web release, they will send it to you to sign.


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## Paint medics (Aug 8, 2015)

Have you considered asking one of the reps to guide you to a propper person from SW to help you . In this case not only are you promoting SW but also giving their name a boost by backing their paints as a contractor/painter . 
They work with me on every level , wether its free polo shirts ,t-shirts for my guys by the boxes, free magnets , featured in the American Painting contractor magazine , recomendations , free folders with my company name,,,, ect Im sure they would help you with their own pics , because ultimately you are promoting their products .


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## Rbriggs82 (Jul 9, 2012)

Paint medics said:


> Have you considered asking one of the reps to guide you to a propper person from SW to help you . In this case not only are you promoting SW but also giving their name a boost by backing their paints as a contractor/painter .
> They work with me on every level , wether its free polo shirts ,t-shirts for my guys by the boxes, free magnets , featured in the American Painting contractor magazine , recomendations , free folders with my company name,,,, ect Im sure they would help you with their own pics , because ultimately you are promoting their products .


Good thinking! I tried emailing but like predicted I didn't get much of a response, I'll try again then ask my rep.


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