[Topbuzz]

I want to sell branded electrical goods on my eCommerce website (ie images like you see on Argos or Amazon showing a Nintendo Wii or Sony Playstation etc).
After reading the copyright laws it seems you need to obtain permission from the copyright owner as these images shall be used for commercial activities. So do I contact Mr Nintendo and Mr Sony for permission? Is this what Amazon etc have to do?

I find this hard to believe as I can imagine it would be expensive to buy a license to use these images.
What about using the images on advert banners as well (again Amazon ads show branded images all the time)?
I've done a lot of searching on the net but can't find anything useful.

[Richard King BWP]

Topbuzz, on 12 August 2009 - 07:46 PM, said:

I want to sell branded electrical goods on my eCommerce website (ie images like you see on Argos or Amazon showing a Nintendo Wii or Sony Playstation etc).
After reading the copyright laws it seems you need to obtain permission from the copyright owner as these images shall be used for commercial activities. So do I contact Mr Nintendo and Mr Sony for permission? Is this what Amazon etc have to do?

I find this hard to believe as I can imagine it would be expensive to buy a license to use these images.
What about using the images on advert banners as well (again Amazon ads show branded images all the time)?
I've done a lot of searching on the net but can't find anything useful.

Yes

thats the cost of taking a product to market

either: the originating company has a site for retailers to "download and use specific images under licence" or the seller has to do a product shoot with a commercial photographer. No exceptions (unless you want to be bankrupt before you sell a product

[Jmz]

Where do you buy the products you sell from?

90% of the time your suppliers will be able to give you a CD with images of the products they sell on. I have came across a few suppliers that will charge for these CDs though.

[Topbuzz]

Jmz, on 13 August 2009 - 07:07 PM, said:

Where do you buy the products you sell from?

90% of the time your suppliers will be able to give you a CD with images of the products they sell on. I have came across a few suppliers that will charge for these CDs though.

I will probably get my stock from amazon and Argos etc. I was thinking along the lines of going to the orignal copyright holder for the images (ie Nintendo, Sony etc), but like you said the supplier (Amazon in this case) my be able to help (as I'm selling their products which are ultimatly coming from the goods manufacture).

[Topbuzz]

Richard King BWP, on 13 August 2009 - 07:05 PM, said:

Yes

thats the cost of taking a product to market

either: the originating company has a site for retailers to "download and use specific images under licence" or the seller has to do a product shoot with a commercial photographer. No exceptions (unless you want to be bankrupt before you sell a product

Hmm...I did go to some stock photo websites and look at their rates for using their pictures for commerical reason. There was one picture of a person holding a games controller. I then chose to use this picture for commerical reasons (eCommerice website) and also use it for advertising (for 1 year). They wanted £3500 for it!!! Thats too big a price for a small start-up.

[Meow]

Topbuzz, on 13 August 2009 - 07:21 PM, said:

I will probably get my stock from amazon and Argos etc.

Do you intend to make any profit from this website? Why not go to wholesalers for your stock?

[Richard King BWP]

Topbuzz, on 13 August 2009 - 07:25 PM, said:

Hmm...I did go to some stock photo websites and look at their rates for using their pictures for commerical reason. There was one picture of a person holding a games controller. I then chose to use this picture for commerical reasons (eCommerice website) and also use it for advertising (for 1 year). They wanted £3500 for it!!! Thats too big a price for a small start-up.

yep - thats what they charge.

you either need to contact the manufacturer, or hire a photographer, or learn how to do the photography yourself

I am a professional photographer, and charge £850 as a day rate. Suitably lined up, we can take a shed load of images in a day

The stock site you went to was very pricy, you ought to be able to find stock images much much cheaper than that. your issue of course is getting the right images

Companys that produce products, will produce marketing materials, which are given to their officiall sellers. You may want to approach the companies direct, and become an official seller

Argos will have a margin, and anyone else can go to Argos