# Legal use of electronic devices

**URL:** <https://forum.kirupa.com/t/legal-use-of-electronic-devices/317506>\
**Category:** design\
**Created:** [December 22, 2010, 11:42pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/legal-use-of-electronic-devices/317506 "2010-12-22T23:42:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![NeoDreamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ccd318/32.png) [@NeoDreamer](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/NeoDreamer)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 11:42pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/legal-use-of-electronic-devices/317506/1 "2010-12-22T23:42:51Z")

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Who has the legal right to decide what is done with a photo of an electronic device? Is it the photographer or is it the manufacturer of the device?

I’m designing a print ad that features an Apple iPhone, Sony Vaio laptop, and an HP desktop computer. If I took those photos or bought someone’s stock photos, can I do whatever I want with those images or do I have to adhere to Apple, Sony, and HP’s rules. [Apple’s guidelines, has some very strict requirements, such as not placing the iPhone next to another computing device - a rule I have already broken in my print ad. But I see these rules broken all the time. For example, here’s the iPhone placed next to two other phones on [url=http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/12/22/the-designer-s-cross-training-toolkit/]Smashing Magazine](http://developer.apple.com/appstore/AppStoreMarketingGuidelines.pdf).

![](http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/cellphones.jpg)

Engadget also violates a ton of rules from various manufacturers. How do they get around these rules? Is it because they are the photographer of the device?

**Stock Photos**

Also, a question about stock photos: why are people allowed to sell photos that are blatantly name brand items. Take a look at this so called [“generic silver laptop”](http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-3594858-silver-laptop.php), which is obviously an Apple Macbook Pro? If I buy this stock photo and use it to my liking, will Apple sue me or the photographer? iStockPhoto only gaurantees protection up to $10,000. Apple will surely sue for more than that!