Price advise for digital files

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HorseRacing
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p.1 #1 · Price advise for digital files

I don't sell digital images but had a cleint from 1.5 years ago contact me and ask for digital copies of the prints I sold them to be used in a promotional website featuring some famous athletes I photographed. In my Original contract Prints were the only thing promised and delivered and I am reluctant to sell any digital files because they can not explain how they will be used at this time to the degree that would make me comfortable. Any advice on how to handle this situation, should I just turn it down or price the 10 or so files at a fee so it would not matter if they end up being used to promote their objectives whether in brochures or the web. Any ideas for those that would sell what a good price would be?
thanks

Jul 03, 2009 at 03:31 AM

FSJ_Guy
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p.1 #2 · Price advise for digital files

I would resize them to web size (600x400 or so) and in the contract, specify EXACTLY how they are to be used (how many different web pages, etc) and for how long. Indicate that the digital files are for INTERNET USE ONLY and are NOT to be use for printing purposes. Talk to your lawyer for specifics.

Jul 03, 2009 at 03:57 AM

Littlebike
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p.1 #3 · Price advise for digital files

I second the above statement.

Jul 03, 2009 at 01:13 PM

HorseRacing
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p.1 #4 · Price advise for digital files

Is there a reference of how much too charge? 10 web pages and I won't allow them to be used in the printing of brochures

Jul 03, 2009 at 01:50 PM

RDKirk
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p.1 #5 · Price advise for digital files

If you're in the business of providing commercial images, you may as well sit down and determine what kinds of digital products you will offer with what kinds of licenses--because the digital image is the standard product in commercial photography.

Nor should you even bother trying to scale size and resolution for specific uses--it's not worth your time to do custom resizing. Just provide a standardized high-res image (mine are always 300ppi at 8x10) as a matter of consistent workflow.

Rather than doing custom resizing, control uses with the license contract. If all you are selling them is a license to use the images on the web, then that's what your contract states, and your lawyer nails them if they do anything more than that.

But by having given them a full-sized product at the outset, they are always able to come back to purchase additional licenses without you doing any more work.

Myself, though, I'd offer them a more expansive license for clearly obvious alternate uses--such as brochures--for a higher price, just like any salesman will offer "add ons" to a sale. My standard contract licenses all uses except packaging, billboard, and broadcast.

Jul 04, 2009 at 06:11 PM

HorseRacing
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p.1 #6 · Price advise for digital files

Thanks, Since I only do print it sounds like more trouble than it would be worth to me to draw up such a contract but I appreciate the advise.

Jul 04, 2009 at 06:17 PM

jjlphoto
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p.1 #7 · Price advise for digital files

HorseRacing wrote:
Thanks, Since I only do print it sounds like more trouble than it would be worth to me to draw up such a contract but I appreciate the advise.

So in other words, you only sell viewing prints with no reproduction rights or commercial usage allowed. The client can only hang them on the wall and that's it.

Jul 04, 2009 at 06:29 PM

HorseRacing
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p.1 #8 · Price advise for digital files

70% of my business is school and sports leagues, the other is family portraits and professional sports so I have never been asked for digital images all have been print sales. it sounds like this would costs me a lot if I involved an attorney to draw up a contract and don't think it would be worth it. This is the first time I have been asked that is why I asked the pricing question but seems like it would involve a lot of time and $$$ to do this

Jul 04, 2009 at 07:31 PM

Micky Bill
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p.1 #9 · Price advise for digital files

It's not rocket surgery. There is not any need for a lawyer, I have been doing commercial work for 25 years and had to involve a lawyer once.
In your invoice, state what you are delivering, what rights you are granting (online only or online and brochure) and that any other use will require additional payment. Also say that reproduction rights are granted only upon full payment of invoice.
Size them so they can get a good image online or in their brochure.
You are licensing, not selling the images. Pricing is pretty much up to you and them.

Jul 04, 2009 at 08:07 PM

HorseRacing
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p.1 #10 · Price advise for digital files

thanks for the advice

Jul 04, 2009 at 08:19 PM


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