A supplier may have helped produce an item without holding unrestricted permission to show it publicly. Portfolio use should be treated as a proposed disclosure and publication activity.
WIPO discusses protecting confidential business information and managing its disclosure. WIPO — Why Trade Secrets Matter to SMEs.
Identify what will be shown
For a character project, review the photograph, product identity and surrounding case-study language. A publication may reveal more than the visible object, including a relationship or unreleased direction.
Obtain the appropriate basis
Check the actual confidentiality, rights and approval arrangements before use. A private manufacturing role does not by itself establish a public endorsement. Preserve the approved publication version and keep unsupported client or partnership claims out of the portfolio.
Source reviewed 25 October 2026. Interpretation and original diagrams: PLUSHIP / Qunhe. Examples are illustrative.
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