Long Term Usage Licenses: A Fairer System

Posted on 12/12/2011 by Jim Pickerell | Printable Version | Comments (2)

It has been pointed out that publishers need to license rights for long terms (25 years and more) because it is so difficult for them to track down image owners in order to license reuses years after the initial license. This is particularly true as a result of agency consolidations and agencies going out of business. I recognize the problem, but there is a simple solution that would be easier for the book publishers to administer and much fairer for image creators.

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Comments

Charles Cecil Posted Dec 24, 2011
This proposal is eminently sensible where direct sales between a photographer and a publisher are concerned. It deserves to be promoted by organizations such as ASMP. However, most of my sales are through Alamy or a couple of other large agencies. They won't tell me who the publishers are who license the images. Are these agencies themselves willing to assume to job of billing publishers for follow-up usage? Though it would be in their interest to do so, I suspect such a new task would be used to justify reducing the photographers' share of the licensing fees obtained. I wonder how easy or difficult it would be to convince major stock agencies that this new system would be in their own best interests? Chuck Cecil

Neil Petrie Posted Jan 10, 2012
Jim, this looks like an excellent solution to so many of the problems associated with any of the long term licensing models. Yes, it is onerous on the agency and the creator, but I think it is about time we (agency/creator) take responsibility for some of these issues.

Just as trademark and patent creators have to take responsibility for managing their rights themselves, I believe its time we do the same.

Terri

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