Choosing the Correct Digital License Type
Overview
Its important to understand the difference between the Rights-Managed (also called Traditional), and Royalty-Free licensing options. License prices are generally higher with Rights-Managed and lowest with Royalty-Free. Your choice will depend on your intended need.
At Photo Stock Source, when you choose the Rights-Managed licensing model, unlike many Rights-Managed offerings elsewhere, you're guaranteed protection against competing use for the term of the license. Being independent, we're able to offer the guaranteed protection of the Rights-Protected model at no extra cost - similar to prices found with unprotected Rights-Managed licenses.
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Index
Rights-Managed
ADVANTAGES
- Protection - Because you have control of the license, you're guaranteed to be protected against having the photo used by a direct competitor for a competing use.
- History - Records of every use of a photo are kept to avoid conflicting rights between competing end users.
- Quality - Photos tend to be higher quality in content and subject matter.
- Availability - This is the "traditional" licensing model that has been around for decades - so the largest volume of stock photography business is found in this area
- Rights-Managed protection can be an advantage for high-profile projects such as ad campaigns and promotions.
DISADVANTAGES
- Price - Because of their advantages, Rights-Managed photographs are more expensive.
- Details - The purchasing transaction takes more time because determining the final price requires the use of a calculation tool, or custom pricing if needed. When the term of the license expires - renewal repeats this process.
Rights-Managed licensing is the best choice when your project requires high quality photography and when it could be negatively affected by a competitor using the same photo. For more details, please read the Rights-Managed License Agreement or the printable Rights-Managed License PDF.
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Royalty-Free
ADVANTAGES
- Cost Effective - because you're choosing not to protect against competitive usage.
- Ease of Use - No need to determine or track usage, freedom to use in multiple ways.
DISADVANTAGES
- High Risk of Competing Use - There is no protection against conflicting use by competitors.
- Lower Photo Content Quality - Photographs offered in the Royalty-Free domain are generally of lower content quality.
Royalty-Free licensing is the best choice when cost is a primary issue in your project, when you want to use a photo for multiple purpose, when you can live with the possibility of someone else using the same photo for the same purpose, and when you don't want to spend time defining your usage. For more details, please read the Royalty-Free License Agreement or view the printable Royalty-Free License Agreement PDF.
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Things to Consider
You need to ask yourself if it's important to know the sales history of a photo. Do you need exclusivity? While you may not need an exclusive license, it's important to understand that Royalty-Free photos are more widely distributed and as a result less unique. When you purchase a Royalty-Free photo from the Internet, you have no way of knowing how many others have purchased and are using the same photos. The only way you can count on getting a unique photo is by purchasing a Rights-Managed license.
There are also differences in quality and content. High quality Rights-Managed Photos represent a wider variety of content and subject matter.
Neither type of licensing is transferable. They are only granted to the person or company who purchased them. You may not sell, rent, loan, give, sublicense, or otherwise transfer the Photo or the right to reproduce the Photo to someone else.
Both type of licensing restrict "sensitive issue" uses (read the agreements).
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