Can I use the image of a living public figure on a commercial item without permission?

Creative Commons may be too general of a term, but there are public domain images that can be used commercially if they marked for reuse commercially:

https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/29508?hl=en

However, OP should check the image location for more information on the image license rules as the image may require attribution.

For instance, this image, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Noam_Chomsky_Toronto_2011.jpg, may be used for any purpose, including commercial usage, under Creative Commons 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en) as long as attribution is given.

So my comment is relevant and not false as you stated but I would always recommend consulting legal counsel in case you can't read the actual license and make out that:

You are free to:

Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format

Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.

The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.

Under the following terms:

Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.

No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.

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