Photographic Usage Agreements

Photographs are copyrighted and therefore require usage agreements.

Due to the fact that photographers automatically own the rights to their photographs, permission is required to use photographs for business, commercial or other purposes. A usage agreement or license must be obtained, usually in the form of a contract between the photographer and the client.

Creative Commons

Creative commons licenses provide flexible usage options, usually in the form of giving credit to the photographer. Creative commons licenses are frequently used for images on the Internet.

Rights-Managed

Rights-managed licenses authorize the usage of a photograph for a specific purpose and limited period of time. Rights-managed agreements often include restrictions on modifications and the additions of text and logos. Additional rights must be purchased for further usage than stipulated with a rights-managed license.

Royalty-Free

Royalty-free licenses grant full rights of the photograph to the purchaser, to use in any way they choose for an unlimited period of time. For printed materials, royalty-free agreements also include an unlimited number of impressions. Because of their open nature, royalty-free license agreements are more expensive than rights-managed agreements.

References

• Getty Images: License Information
• Creative Commons: What is CC?