Places Using Your Photos in Their Marketing

[H-C-Davies]

This is an interesting topic for a lot of reasons. When you think of a business using a photo that you took while there and then uploaded to their Google Maps listing in their direct marketing endeavors two things might come to mind.

1. Wow they liked my photo so much its now on their own web channels

or

2. Are they legally allowed to use my photo?

As a Local Guide I always use a “contributing to the digital world” mindset so I personally take no issue with a photo I uploaded to Google Maps winding its way elsewhere off the maps as long as its in the right place, but I wanted to reflect on the matter for a moment and maybe even gauge others opinions about how they feel if a business used their photo for their own commercial use.

One of my highest viewed photos which happens to be of the Classic Gateway Theater in Fort Lauderdale, Florida was one I took and then uploaded to maps. Sometime later I could not help but notice that the same photo was now on the theater’s website and at of April 30th, 2020 still remains. I look at it as almost an honor in a way but cannot help but also question who there made such a decision to use one of their featured map photos that they themselves did not add to their claimed business page also on the website where it as further trickled into other channels.

Anyone else have an opinion on this specific case or the overall element here?

[AdamGT]

Hi @H-C-Davies

This is an interesting topic and you will know that photos displayed on maps are displayed with the words ‘Images may be subject to copyright’. Also, some Maps contributors add a copyright watermark to their photos. I myself did this on some of my photos but found this takes extra time and effort. However, according to Google’s attribution guidelines for Google Maps and Google Earth,

All uses of Google Maps and Google Earth content must provide attribution to both Google and our data providers. We do not approve of any use of content without proper attribution, in any circumstances. We require attribution when the content is shown.

My view differs if it’s a non-commercial use but in your case it would seem that it is a commercial use of your photo so I think at the least you could make them aware of this and request that they abide by this policy. It would be interesting to see what the Google Moderators here have to say about this.

I hope this helps!

[H-C-Davies]

Very true. There is all sort of legal questions this poses I approached this as more of a reflection on the topic as a whole. Its interesting that you bring up the fact that Google as a company could almost be more of factor than the Local Guide and the business.