Core77

[ren3of3]

I have a product that I recently designed and would like to include it in my sampler book update.
It's being produced, has a buyer, but hasn't yet arrived on the shelf or been advertised.

However, a user manual for the product can be found online when searching for it via model number.

In this case, where the functions and small images of the product have been preemptively published, is it OK to show?

[chevisw]

I would say that it has reached public domain and would be safe to show, but if you want to do it buy the book contact the powers that be or who ever you worked for while designing it and ask if you can use it in your portfolio.......

[Cyberdemon]

Is the user manual only visible because someone in the publications division accidentally published it too early?

If the product has been publicly announced by the company either via some form of statement, press release, etc then it should be public domain.

If a web search crawler happened to find an internal page that wasn't linked from anywhere, then that may not really be public domain.

The easiest way to answer this question is ask someone if you can put it in your portfolio now, either your boss if it's an internal project or someone on the companies marketing team if you're a freelancer/consultant.

[samuelcruz2]

Good morning, it is important to ask first if it is okay to take the manual to the person who published. Remember that no one wants any legal problems. So the only advice I can give you is to ask the person or the company in charge and let the clients know that you don't owe those particular manuals.