# Can I use record cover images to promote my record store? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 21, 2024, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-record-cover-images-to-promote-my-record-store/1001869 "2024-05-21T14:03:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2024, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-record-cover-images-to-promote-my-record-store/1001869/21 "2024-05-21T20:51:18Z")
Well, I sure as shit won’t show any Eagles album covers! ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2024, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-record-cover-images-to-promote-my-record-store/1001869/22 "2024-05-21T20:55:18Z")
To be fair, there’s plenty of room… [parts venetian blinds, looking for IP attorneys rolling up] ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2024, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-record-cover-images-to-promote-my-record-store/1001869/23 "2024-05-21T21:09:02Z")
> [@Akaj](#): > > Well, I sure as shit won’t show any Eagles album covers! [“Man, come on. I had a rough night and I hate the f\*\*kin’ Eagles, man!”](https://movies.stackexchange.com/questions/46672/why-did-the-dude-hate-the-eagles-so-much#46682) Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2024, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-record-cover-images-to-promote-my-record-store/1001869/24 "2024-05-21T21:42:54Z")
Album cover images are all over Discogs, which, as a fledgling record peddler, I am guessing you are familiar with. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2024, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-record-cover-images-to-promote-my-record-store/1001869/25 "2024-05-21T22:12:23Z")
Indeed, and I thought of that. But the thumbnails on Discogs always pertain directly to the album they’re rating or marketing, whereas I may tempt legal purgatory by using an album cover image to promote the general idea that _I sell this record and other records like it_. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2024, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-record-cover-images-to-promote-my-record-store/1001869/26 "2024-05-22T01:57:39Z")
There’s an interesting dispute in Canada over the _Guess Who_ and their name and songs. Apparently one of the lesser members managed to trademark the band name years later and tours (toured?) with a “cover band”. I heard an interview where Burton Cummings in his best old-man-get-off-my-lawn voice suggests the guy lied to obtain the trademark. In response, both Cumming and Randy Bachman have apparently forbidden the band to play the iconic songs that they are known for. (Complaint was that publicity material included playing the recorded songs from the 70’s, implying the band “coming soon to a location near you” was the original band, when sometimes 1 sometimes none of the band members were the originals on those recordings). Ah, legal disputes… I would think many well known movie actors likeness are copyright/trademarked, even after death. Mickey Mouse (not dead yet, getting better!) is trademarked, but images of Mickey from Steamboat Willie are public domain - so tread carefully. To return to the OP, I guess the question would always be - how closely do the images relate to the items for sale? As for Beato, the only thing I can think of is that he’s had some interesting past run-in with Eagles lawyers, possibly for overdoing something once upon a time - or he’s doing the Lebowski thing and hating them on principle. Other than that, there’s no logical reason for his inability to say their name. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-record-cover-images-to-promote-my-record-store/1001869/27 "2024-05-26T20:57:40Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > No argument on any of that. Just saying that I’ve noticed channels treat ALL commercial music to a two-second style rule, even stuff that you wouldn’t assume anyone gives a shit about these days. The only exception being albums/songs specifically made to be played royalty free on Youtube. I thought that you could include copyrighted music in videos you put up on YouTube and that it simply compensates the rights-owner for every view of your video. I’ve used much more than 2 seconds of copyrighted music (sometimes the entire song) in YT vids myself. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-record-cover-images-to-promote-my-record-store/1001869/28 "2024-05-26T21:00:36Z")
I’ll readily admit to not personally experiencing the rules since I don’t make Youtube videos. I’m just going off of creator comments while demonstrating a piece of audio equipment or video game (with music), etc. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-record-cover-images-to-promote-my-record-store/1001869.md?page=1)