Legal Question in Business Law in Washington

Unless they wrote something down saying you have such permission, the answer is no. If I were you, I'd ask them if you can take some photos to use to promote your company. Tell them you will show them the photos before they are used for their approval. You can even offer to have them there when you shoot the photos.

If they work on anything sensitive, reassure them that no photos of documents, company secrets, or anything else they don't want in the public domain, will not be photographed. Then, have them sign a release to give you permission to shoot the photos.

You may even consider approaching them with a free week's service in exchange for letting you shoot the shots. Either way, you are going to want to hire a local attorney to prepare a release from the owner, authorizing you to use the photos to promote your business.

As a Franchise Attorney I agree with the other attorney answer. Also, looking down the road (always a good thing to do), you should incorporate language in your standard contract allowing you to take these pictures. Consult with a good business or franchise attorney in your area for specific advice.

Mr. Franchise - Kevin B. Murphy, B.S., M.B.A., J.D.

Franchise Foundations, a Professional Corporation