Photo archives

Farnsworth fly said:

I have worked for a client for about 20 years, they have asked me if they can buy lifetime rights to all my images were talking around 35 to 40,000 images how do I possibly put a price on the images many of the images are full of very famous people . Thanks

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If they only wanted to pay for the Rights to use 1 image in 2 media for 1 year in 1 country - what would you say the fee would be?

If they only wanted to pay for the Rights to use 1 image in All media for 1 year in 1 country - what would you say the fee would be?

If they only wanted to pay for the Rights to use 1 image in All media for 10 years in 1 country - what would you say the fee would be?

If they only wanted to pay for the Rights to use 1 image in All media for 10 years throughout the World - what would you say the fee would be?

Once you know the answers to those questions, i.e. starting with the minimum amount, which I would let them know in the first quote that I would send them - then you can think about what the percentage discount would be, should they want to pay for the Rights to use more than 1 image... or 100 images or 1000 images, etc.



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Cheers
Ashley

Farnsworth fly said:

I have worked for a client for about 20 years, they have asked me if they can buy lifetime rights to all my images were talking around 35 to 40,000 images how do I possibly put a price on the images many of the images are full of very famous people . Thanks

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What EXACTLY do they mean (as opposed to what you think they mean) by "lifetime rights". Are they talking about copyright ownership or usage rights. Also as mentioned in Ashley's post above the duration of the license is only one element. Where will the images be used and how?

Farnsworth fly said:

I have worked for a client for about 20 years...

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The other thing which one would obviously need to take into account here - especially since you say that you have already "worked for" this client - is how much did you ask them to pay you for the Rights to use your images before, as well as what all did they actually receive from you afterward for that amount?

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Cheers
Ashley

Farnsworth fly said:

I have worked for a client for about 20 years, they have asked me if they can buy lifetime rights to all my images were talking around 35 to 40,000 images how do I possibly put a price on the images many of the images are full of very famous people . Thanks

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In addition to all the excellent questions other posters have asked, have you ever had income from sales of these images to third parties?

Are the 'images full of very famous people' that are more than, say, a year/5 years old, still earning money from this client or any other source?

Farnsworth fly said:

I have worked for a client for about 20 years, they have asked me if they can buy lifetime rights to all my images were talking around 35 to 40,000 images how do I possibly put a price on the images many of the images are full of very famous people . Thanks

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"No" doesn't have a price.

They clearly see potential from your catalogue in the future, they will not offer you a price even close to what they might be worth, and they will then market them aggressively because no one is about to spend the money and do nothing with them.

So turn this around - ask them for an offer.

Farnsworth fly said:

I have worked for a client for about 20 years, they have asked me if they can buy lifetime rights to all my images were talking around 35 to 40,000 images

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How much are those old images currently earnings you? Anything or is what brings you in money new pics only?

Farnsworth fly said:

how do I possibly put a price on the images many of the images are full of very famous people

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See above

Farnsworth fly said:

. Thanks

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RedFox88 said:

How much are those old images currently earnings you? Anything or is what brings you in money new pics only?

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How much he is currently earning from selling the Rights to use older images, versus much he is currently earning from selling the Rights to use newer images, is totally irrelevant.

Because obviously, the answer to that question may be about to change 'big time' here... if he handles this right.

Having said that, if he knows that he is currently earning some money from others who are using these images, then first he would need to look at the various Licenses to see if he could actually sell this client the Rights to use those images or not.

Or if this client had already paid him for a Licence to use some of these images - especially if it was for the Rights to use the images in "All media for an Unlimited period of time throughout the World" - then obviously he would need to take that into account as well.

Farnsworth fly said:

I have worked for a client for about 20 years, they have asked me if they can buy lifetime rights to all my images were talking around 35 to 40,000 images how do I possibly put a price on the images many of the images are full of very famous people . Thanks

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As others have mentioned you need to consider exactly what rights they want?

Do they want exclusivity? This would prevent you from any other use of, or profit from, the images.

Do they want the right to assign and/or sub license? In others words, in addition to this client being able to use the images, do they want to be able to sell/license/give-away the images to others? This would allow them to compete with you if you try to license an image to others?

Will them indemnify you for any claims/issues that arise from their use of the images. For instance, if they use an image for an HIV advertising campaign, it might imply that the model had HIV. Such use typically requires explicit permission in the model release. A general "for any legal purpose" release may not be enough. If the model sues, will they protect you?

Do they want to be able use the images for any purpose, or are they willing to me limited to a fixed set of enumerated uses.

Once you understand the extent of their license, you want to ask yourself what your costs will be. Are these images that you would otherwise make money on? Perhaps from this client, perhaps from others? If so, then you may want the licensing fee to be at least as much as the potential income you will lose.

Does a licensing agreement help or hurt your reputation? Will it make other clients (or even this client) more likely to use you in the future because they view you as being easy to deal with?

If the agreement requires them to credit you, will it bring you more clients? (I had some photos in the local paper the other day. I doubt my photo credit will bring me additional business).

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From a business perspective, the evaluation is simple. What is our expected future income from the image library? How much will that be reduced if you grant a license to the client? If the license fee is more than the lost revenue, then you come out ahead.

You've reduced your risk. You get a known price today, instead of potential future income. That fixed price may end up being more than you otherwise would have gotten, or less.

Farnsworth fly said:

I have worked for a client for about 20 years, they have asked me if they can buy lifetime rights to all my images were talking around 35 to 40,000 images how do I possibly put a price on the images many of the images are full of very famous people . Thanks

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This is too vague. Is that client a single person and is it their lifetime or yours? What was the original agreement when you were shooting during all those years? Were you shooting on your dime and licensing specific frames or some other arrangement?

Your description reads like you were a stringer for People Magazine.

I am accustomed to a day rate and the commercial client gets access to everything I shoot for them. So x$ times 10 days plus expenses and client gets their images. They cull what they want to use however they choose to incorporate it into their advertising. Now if the scope of how they use the images or length of time exceeds prearranged values in the talent's individual contracts then the client must renegotiate with talent. Happens al the time.

Now I can shoot personal work interspersed with images for the client and take advantage of where I am and the models on hand and that work is wholly mine and does not belong to the client. The less commercial personal work is not as susceptible to shelf life issues.