Apr 13, 2009
SEOs and web design agencies often use a screenshot of Google results to show off their wonderful rankings. I hadn't really considered the copyright implications of doing this, until I stumbled across the official page on how to use Google's brand.Because most of us are too busy enjoying Gmail, Chrome and other cool freebies, it's easy to forget that Google are actually a multinational behemoth and have an army of legal-weasels dedicated to copyright infringement, EULAs, and all that yucky stuff.
I'm hardly surprised that such a page exists - of course it does - but the following piece I found interesting.
And this also...
Pretty clear. SEO and web design companies who use screenshots as 'advertising' is a clear-cut violation of these terms.
I know I have done this in the past, and I'd wager that there are some pretty big SEO companies out there using Google screenshots as advertising, or altered screenshots to illustrate a point clearer.
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14 Comments
Interesting. Thanks for bringing this to the attention of web designers and SEO companies worldwide!
Goole should complain? Remember the problems they had scanning all those books a few years ago. Didn't get permission at all.
Google or not. Nobody should use grafics without permisson of its owner
Thanks for the article and it makes comlete sense even though I can't see how they could enforce it or even have the want to send cease and desist emails to all SEO websites that do that.
Would probably be useless to sue these SEO companies since most of them are located outside of the US and such laws are rarely enforced. I am thiking India as an example.
It's actually in Google's interest to allow people to use screen shots as SEOs are helping people to use Google better and get more traffic / better content for Google.
I never heard of any lawsuit against any SEO or web design company or personal who did a screen shot of SERPs.
i never gave thought about this until i came across your post today ....this is something i have been doing in the past....i guess now i got to be careful :) thanks mate
Well, I had to read carefully everything, because on my business website I do show off the wonderful rankings of the work I do for my clients.
e.g.
http://miguelayala.net/portafolio/blueboarconstruction-com
But thanks to everything is based on what Google recommends I feel free of any guilt of doing it wrong.
Vey nice post, thanks for the information!
If making snagit's of Google SERP's were a crime - I would get life! If Google went after my agency - bring it on! My agency could use the free PR.
Jeffrey DeArmond
Local Edge SEO, Inc.
www.localedgeseo.com
The screen shots for particular pages for showing the rank of keywords is not wrong in my opinion. But over usage of misuse of anything extending the limit of access is wrong and illegal.
Mark Chaney - May 12, 2010
It doesnt matter if google enforces it or not or what country you live in. If its illegal, you shouldnt be doing it. Plain and simple.
Interesting observation…I’m wondering about two things though:
1. Are these copyrights rules (ie. “instructive or illustrative”) the same in most countries?
2. Seems like most of the SEO companies are pretty small shops (at least the ones I’m familiar with). I wonder if Google would even bother to enforce this in most cases.
Enjoy the blog,
Steve