Legal Question in Intellectual Property in California

Using a image of a celebrity found online to demonstrate your mobile app without permission from the copyright holder and a privacy release from the celebrity may open you to both copyright infringement and right of privacy liability. The same goes for the purchased stock photos, unless the purchase granted you the specific rights to use the photo as you contemplated and the photo purchase included a privacy release from the person depicted on the photograph.

I would recommend that you speak with the stock photography company about your intended use to determine if the picture you are looking to purchase includes those rights. Additionally, I would recommend to have an attorney review your agreement with the stock company as well as your plan of use.

Best,

Jim