|
|
|
|
|
Royalty Free licensing overview
This is a short overview of Royalty Free licensing, what it means and how it benefits you, the end user.
"Royalty Free" is essentially a contract between the licensee, in this case Douglass Media Pte. Ltd. and the licensor, that being our subscribers. The summary of Royalty Free licensing means it is that the end user does not buy the image to "own" but purchases usage rights not measured in terms of volume, limited to the term of the contract. That being the period for which the users subscription is valid.
The rights to a Royalty Free image are not sold in any way to an end user. The image always remains the property of the owner, in this case, Douglass Media Pte. Ltd. What an end user effectively purchases is a right to use the image with minimal restrictions. An end user does not pay a continuous rate based on distribution. So long as your license is valid, more specifically your subscription is current, then you can for example print one copy of an image or one million.
This is different to the standard of the stock industry, being Rights Managed, in this case. The fees are dependent upon the exact usage, editorial, commercial and so on. And the fees are dependent upon the quantities. For example a book publisher would pay a rate based on the books print run and the type of market.
In this day and age with modern technologies and processes, such as just in time scheduling and POD - print on demand, Rights Managed images can add a lot of administrative overhead to any publishing enterprise.
Historically the main advantage of Rights Managed Images has been that of exclusive use. Meaning for example an advertising agency can use an image in the knowledge that no one else is using the image. Obviously this sole advantage usually comes with a related cost overhead. One advantage of our Royalty Free system is that we combine the best of both licensing systems. We do keep track of which images are available and have been used.
Essentially if you wish to purchase an exclusive use license for any image, it is a first come system. If nobody has downloaded that image so far then we can if required for an appropriate fee limit the license to a sole purchaser. See Exclusive use for further information.
So our system gives subscribers the opportunity to make use of the best of both features if so desired. It is a low cost alternative where you the end user benefits, and so do we. Keeping track of and administering Rights Managed images is a major administrative factor in both time and cost. Our Royalty free images allow you to use an image essentially as you see fit.
Of course, with that freedom, as they say comes responsibility. You are solely responsible for how you use the image during the period of your license.
In summary, Royalty Free does not mean a user is free to take and use whatever content they find available to them. It only refers to a specific licensing contract between two entities. The licensor, usually the content creator, always retains all copyright to the content, including the ability to distribute it, or allow redistribution.
|
|
|
Copyright © 2008-2010. All content is strictly copyright Douglass Media Pte. Ltd.
Unauthorised reproduction in any form is strictly prohibited under international treaties and
will be enforced in the domestic jurisdiction where intellectual property infringements occur.When using this site your
IP address will be recorded, all unauthorised usage will be reported to the releveant authorities.
Our copyright policy is found here. See our privacy policy
for information regarding how we protect and manage your privacy.
©Douglass Media Pte. Ltd. 2010 All rights reserved.
Page Loaded in 0.006 s
|
|
|
