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Is improving Amazon images with photoshop against the operating agreement?

by aussiebrah
11 replies
Reading the operating agreement gives the impression that you're only allowed to re-size images.

"except that you may resize Content consisting of a graphic image in a manner that maintains the original proportions of the image"

For images that are dull, or need improvements then surely Photoshopping them in a way that doesn't deceive customers would be fine right?

Sometimes, i also take a few images, and make one image showing the product from a few different angles. Could i technically get banned for this?
#agreement #amazon #images #improving #operating #photoshop
  • Profile picture of the author d0r1n
    I wouldn't risk modifying the original pictures. You'd better ask Amazon about this. Try sending them an email.

    PS: what do you mean by "I also take a few images"? Except for the images that come from Amazon do you also take you own pictures by using the product?
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    • Profile picture of the author aussiebrah
      Originally Posted by d0r1n View Post

      I wouldn't risk modifying the original pictures. You'd better ask Amazon about this. Try sending them an email.

      PS: what do you mean by "I also take a few images"? Except for the images that come from Amazon do you also take you own pictures by using the product?
      I mean that i use multiple images, which i cut out and put into the same image. So if the amazon page has 3 different pictures, showing 3 angles, I take all three of these and place them in one image, so anyone visiting my site can see all three angles in one picture.

      I also wonder If i can take an image from elsewhere, and modify it and then link to Amazon. I wouldn't technically be altering the amazon page's image, i'd be using one from another website.

      i don't know if i'm worrying too much about this
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      • Profile picture of the author d0r1n
        Originally Posted by aussiebrah View Post

        I mean that i use multiple images, which i cut out and put into the same image. So if the amazon page has 3 different pictures, showing 3 angles, I take all three of these and place them in one image, so anyone visiting my site can see all three angles in one picture.
        you'll miss on-page SEO opportunities with only one image per post. I have a hobby website that's monetized with Amazon affiliate links, and, the first organic visitors arrived on my site from Google images. I might post a step-by-step article about that soon

        I always try to keep things as simple as I can.
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      • Profile picture of the author JohnnyPlan
        Originally Posted by aussiebrah View Post

        I mean that i use multiple images, which i cut out and put into the same image. So if the amazon page has 3 different pictures, showing 3 angles, I take all three of these and place them in one image, so anyone visiting my site can see all three angles in one picture.

        I also wonder If i can take an image from elsewhere, and modify it and then link to Amazon. I wouldn't technically be altering the amazon page's image, i'd be using one from another website.
        Most of the products sold on Amazon are sold elsewhere, so finding product images on other sites to post on your blog/review page would be easy. Also, Amazon is not likely to know where you took the images from. And if there is a dispute, just provide them with the link of the site where you first found your photo alternatives.
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  • Profile picture of the author AlexanderSaroyan
    Banned
    Take a Look on Terms of Services on Agreement. If you can't find it you should contact support center and get help!
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  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    Originally Posted by aussiebrah View Post

    i don't know if i'm worrying too much about this
    LOL - there's no need to worry about these things at all.

    All you have to do is stick to the terms of service, and you'll be ok, just like all the other people who stick to the terms of service are ok. It isn't difficult. They're not ambiguous or complicated, like some company's terms are. They explain loud and clear what you're allowed and not allowed to do, with images. As you quoted from Amazon's terms, yourself, the only way you can change images is "that you may resize content consisting of a graphic image in a manner that maintains the original proportions of the image". I promise I'm not trying to be rude to you, but how clear do you need it to be? If you can really find significant "gray areas" in that, then you're more interpretative and analytical than I am, anyway. Not to mention more imaginative.

    (I don't think any of what you've said in this thread that you're doing is at all income-determining anyway - I think it's all completely irrelevant to that, but this is another matter altogether.)


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    • Profile picture of the author aussiebrah
      Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

      LOL - there's no need to worry about these things at all.

      All you have to do is stick to the terms of service, and you'll be ok, just like all the other people who stick to the terms of service are ok. It isn't difficult. They're not ambiguous or complicated, like some company's terms are. They explain loud and clear what you're allowed and not allowed to do, with images. As you quoted from Amazon's terms, yourself, the only way you can change images is "that you may resize content consisting of a graphic image in a manner that maintains the original proportions of the image". I promise I'm not trying to be rude to you, but how clear do you need it to be? If you can really find significant "gray areas" in that, then you're more interpretative and analytical than I am, anyway. Not to mention more imaginative.

      (I don't think any of what you've said in this thread that you're doing is at all income-determining anyway - I think it's all completely irrelevant to that, but this is another matter altogether.)


      .
      The only explanation i can come up with to your black and white view is maybe you aren't a gun at photoshop? What about more complicated product pictures, involving people, backgrounds, etc. There's any number off modifications i could make, from removing an unneccessary object or person, to altering the color of a person's shirt if i think it's ugly. Or I can change facial features, make someone look 50lbs lighter, add a person into the picture. Or what if the object i'm selling usually sits on grass, but the product photo is on a white background - what if i photoshop it onto some grass? What about if it's a camping item, and I photoshop a camp fire next to the item. There's a million things I could do which are more than a simple 're-size'.

      For me, there's no gray area in 'original proportions' or the word 'resize'. However, I'm confused about how strict they are on this and was wondering how other people approach this. Surely we can do more than simply resize an image.

      Also, if this only applies to amazon images, then i may as well get my images from other sites if i'm going to alter them
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      • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
        Banned
        Originally Posted by aussiebrah View Post

        The only explanation i can come up with to your black and white view is maybe you aren't a gun at photoshop?
        That's the only explanation you can come up with?!

        It never even occurred to you at all that perhaps I like to abide by the terms of service of the companies on whom my income depends?!

        Ok ...
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        • Profile picture of the author aussiebrah
          Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

          That's the only explanation you can come up with?!

          It never even occurred to you at all that perhaps I like to abide by the terms of service of the companies on whom my income depends?!

          Ok ...
          lmao

          Have you ever showed up for work late or had a sick day when not sick? Have you ever slacked off or done something at work that wasn't by the book?
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          • Profile picture of the author Kay King
            I'm not sure why you asked the question. You had an honest answer from a successful and experienced internet marketer. You don't like the answer - so do what you want.

            If Amazon finds you violating terms - they ban you and that's that. If another site owner finds you taking/using his images - that can be a legal/financial problem.

            If a customer is looking for a certain product to buy - it's the product they are looking for...not the prettiest photo. People running successful businesses don't risk their income to show off photoshop skills.
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        • Profile picture of the author KishanS
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          • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
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  • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
    Dang Alexa for always being able to phrase things perfectly.

    The issue is photo ownership (copyright laws, and all), terms of service and how much you're willing to risk violating those terms of service.

    If you're going to be okay with losing your Amazon account for violating the terms of service that's a risk you can choose to take. Maybe you're finding that your sales are better when you alter the images and you're after that "money now" rather than being concerned with losing that flow in the future. You have to make that decision for yourself. However, it is a violation of the TOS and once you know it is then you've got to think carefully about how you want to proceed.

    Same goes for taking pictures from other sites. If you don't own the rights to the image, take one without permission and use it in your site you're facing other risks - any action that may be taken by the photo owner to protect their brand and copyrights. If you take that photo from a competing retailer and they find you're using it to promote Amazon instead they're not going to be happy.

    However, if you think about the problem in another way it could actually mean an opportunity for you and one of them you outlined as a possibility already. Taking your own pictures of the product is a better option. Now you're able to distinguish your site from others with unique pictures which you can further leverage, for example, on social media sites.

    Another option is to look at the seller of the product. Most of those bland, dull photos on Amazon are for products where the seller is not Amazon but a third party. What if you were to contact the seller and do either of the following:
    • Offer to take a better photo for them to help them sell more (set up the right contract and you could have exclusive rights to modify the image while no one else would have those same rights). This could even become a service that turns into a new business. You might even get the product from them for free in exchange for giving them a better picture they can use.
    • Ask them if you can modify the image for use on your site. Amazon may not be able to grant you permission to change the image but the photo owner can.
    Large manufacturers probably have their own departments for photos and ads so might not be open to that but smaller companies and start ups might be. For larger manufacturers you can always ask them for permission to use their photos. Just be sure to find out what you can and can't do with those images.

    I think Alexa was suggesting that going to all that effort with the images might not be driving better results anyway which would make the risk of modifying the images simply a waste of effort besides being a violation of the TOS. You'd have to be able to measure that changing the images is, in fact, having a positive impact before deciding next steps.
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