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Archive 2008 · Licensing for unknown commercial use

  
 
nathanlake
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p.1 #1 · Licensing for unknown commercial use


When selling digital images for commercial use via a wetsite (e.g. SmugMug), you have no idea what the exact use will be. How do you determine a reasonable licensing fee?

Here is the license text used by SmugMug.


License For Commercial Use
What you can do: Photographer grants you a perpetual, non-exclusive, non-transferable, worldwide license to use this image for permitted commercial purposes, defined as:

advertising, promotion, brochures, packaging
as part of a commercial website for promotional purposes (maximum 800x600pixels) use
prints, posters, flyers, tearsheets for promotional purposes (not for resale)
prints, posters, or other commercial display of image
magazines, books, newspapers, other printed publications
video, broadcast, theatrical
What you may not do: Buyer may not resell, relicense, redistribute without express written permission from photographer. Use as a derivative work, and reselling or redistributing such derivative work is prohibited. Images may not be used in a pornographic, obscene, illegal, immoral, libelous or defamatory manner. Images may not be incorporated into trademarks, logos, or service marks. Image may not be made available for download.

Photographer retains all rights, license, copyright, title and ownership of the image(s).

There is no warranty, express or implied, with the purchase of this digital image file. Neither photographer nor SmugMug will be liable for any claims, or incidental, consequential or other damages arising out of this license or buyer's use of the image(s).



Feb 28, 2008 at 11:28 AM
Mike Pipes
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p.1 #2 · Licensing for unknown commercial use


I would have to say, either set your license fee in accordance to the rights SmugMug spedifically lists, in other words whatever you would charge anyone else for the same rights listed but licensed through some other means, or if you don't like the broad use given by SmugMug, don't license your images through them.

If you want more specific licensing terms you can join Photoshelter where they have a very comprehensive list of uses. They even have pricing based on industry averages from fotoQuote so you don't even have to bog your brain down with the numbers.



Feb 28, 2008 at 04:11 PM
nathanlake
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p.1 #3 · Licensing for unknown commercial use


Take for example magazine or newpaper use. Generally, licensing of this type is based upon estimated circulation. In the SmugMug model, I have to name one figure for any commercial use. So a magazine with a circulation of 500 pays the same as the Newsweek would. Just not sure how to set the figure, but my first instinct is to go low or risk not making any sales. Face it, the chance that Newsweek will pick up one of my images off of SmugMug is pretty small.


Feb 28, 2008 at 06:40 PM





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