Commercial Licensing And Usage Fees
When a photographer is hired to take photos for your business, the photographer is the copyright owner of the photos (unless stated otherwise in the Terms And Conditions or Contract). To be able to use the photos the photographer has taken, the client will need to pay a license/usage fee.
How is the fee calculated?
The cost of using the photo(s) is determined by the copyright owner (usually the photographer), and can vary greatly depending on the following factors:
♦ How the photos are going to be used (digital, print, website, social media, television, retail, packaging, only internal documents etc);
♦ How many times they will be used;
♦ How long they will be used (once-off, months, years, perpetual);
♦ The number of copies or circulation the photos will be used in;
♦ The number of countries the photo will be used in;
♦ Whether the photos will be shared with any third parties;
♦ The level of skill of the photographer and the quality of photos they can produce.
Every photographer will price their licenses according to how they run their business, and what the photos are being used for. Some will include it together in their general ‘photography fee’, others will have it as a separate cost. It’s always worthwhile checking with your photographer and asking for an estimate or quote before making a booking, and always read the contract they present to you before you sign it.
