The Office star BJ Novak’s face accidentally ended up in public domain so he’s being used to sell random products across the world

BJ’s face is in the public domain (Picture: Getty / Instagram @bjnovak)

Celebrities’ faces are often slapped on perfumes, herbal aids, sex toys and even cryptocurrency without their endorsement or knowledge, leading to customer confusion and often legal action from the star in question.

But sometimes, it’s all above board, and that’s what makes it even funnier.

The Office star BJ Novak has revealed his face is on random products around the world, after a photo of him was placed on a public domain site by error.

Public domain images are stock pictures that individuals or brands can use for free, and it looks like many a brand has been making the most of BJ’s face being up for grabs.

The 42-year-old wrote on his Instagram stories: ‘Years ago, someone mistakenly put an image of me on a public domain site, and now apparently I am on products all around the world, but I am too amused to do anything about it.’

The actor then shared evidence of his mug being used to promote an array of products, including a raincoat in a store in Los Angeles, a Swedish cologne called Encounter, a set of ‘boutique rechargeable electric hair clippers’, a shaver, and blue and white face paint in Uruguay.

A face paint in Uruguay has used BJ’s face on their packaging (Picture: Instagram)

This raincoat looks great on him (Picture: @bjnovak)

You can’t say the man doesn’t have range.

Funnily enough, BJ’s character on The Office, Ryan Howard, pulled a similar move to flog his mother’s homemade pesto and salsa in the season seven episode The Garage Sale.

Ryan stuck Oscar’s face on the jars for Senor Chico’s Hot Cha Cha, and Phyllis’s face on the jars for Mama Sally’s Homemade Pesto because she had ‘that mom looked I wanted’.

While BJ didn’t mean for his face to promote raincoats and hair clippers, other actors have seen their likeness being used for all kinds of pamphlets and articles, after posing for stock images before they found fame.

Shang-Chi star Simu Liu has popped up on all kinds of books and advertisements after posing for a office-themed stock image shoot for Getty Images in 2014.

He’s big in Sweden (Picture: @bjnovak)

More: The Office

He explained: ‘I did ONE stock photo shoot for 100 bucks cash in 2014… and I have ended up on HUNDREDS of ads and storefronts and pamphlets and textbook covers.

‘Moral of the story; Think twice before doing a stock photo shoot because they own those photos forever.’

Star Wars actor John Boyega has also popped up in advertisements for schools and universities after doing a Getty stock image shoot in a school uniform, and he confirmed his past gig tweeting: ‘Yep. Used the money for new trainers.’

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