Martin P Wilson

I think I will try SWNS; I am sure they were who I had in mind, but there are others (Solent, Cambridge and Birmingham/West Midlands also have similar outfits). Especially if I have a story where I can put some words to the pictures.

I would have to do more research but there is London News Pictures, Rex (sort of), and the there are the news agencies that handle news stories (with and without pictures). South West Press rings a bell, there used to be a regular contributor on these forums who took employment with an outfit in Birmingham as I recall. His name escapes me at the moment, (Michael ??)

It would be very worthwhile if they didn't simply rollover and licence the infringement on current discounted terms, use the calculator as a minimum reference price. A few high-profile punitive awards and clients would wake up to the fact that it was going to be very expensive and bad press if they don't stick to licencing terms, and pay promptly. A certain Tier 1 library sends very high bills to infringers, gets a lot of press and sends a clear warning, pour encourager les autres! I know of photographers (including ex-Alamy) who make a significant additional income by chasing infringements, especially in the USA, using specialist detection and collection services. As I replan my non-Alamy photography life that is a route I will probably go down. I will register copyright in the USA to allow punitive damages on US infringments.

You could have held the library's feet to the fire and pointed out that it was a new licence ( for a new edition, new ISBN ), they were no longer representing you so their licencing was a breach of your copyright, as well as the unlicenced publication of your IP by the publisher. They would probably have had to settle with your own view of the correct fee otherwise they would upset their client relationship. No skin off your nose unless you were expecting to do business with the client on your own account. Just a thought.

If the police do not have those rights (which the guidance makes clear) than no one else does, at least in a public place.

Do not confuse exclusively represented (ends with the end of contract) and an exclusive licence. The latter are usually exclusive to a sector, time period or purpose (say as a book cover) or a territory or some mix thereof - I have never been exclusively represented by Alamy but had exclusive licences as described, usually sensibly time limited. Outside those limits it can usually be licenced freely; but it could under Alamy's post-contract terms be relicenced for a renewal of the same purpose on the same (selectively exclusive) purpose; it should follow on seamlessly from previous licence, not after a break as that should be a new licence in my view and outside the terms of the contract. A totally exclusive licence (all uses, all terroritories, in perpetuity or very extended time, say more than 5 or 10 years, should be effectively as expensive (very!) as a copyright buyout as it cannot be used for any other purpose. If you change to new exclusive representation and have been exclusively represented by Alamy, or have had exclusive licences (especially if they are still active) then you should discuss the specifics with the new library.

The definitive England Wales police policy is here: https://www.app.college.police.uk/app-content/engagement-and-communication/media-relations/ Particularly note 'Reporting from the Scene' - this has all been agreed, I believe, with the major media bodies such as NUJ. I do carry an official UKPCA/NUJ press card (rarely use it), in the UK any 'press' ID that is not UKPCA is not worth the plastic it is embossed on. It might impress a gullibloe security 'official' but should not wash with a police officer. There may be an additional ID (Metropolitan Police) required at some public locations (Palace Green, Westminster?) in London I seem to recall and of course a Press Card does not give you access to private property, that requires separate accreditation through the venue or, usually, the event organiser. Usually needs to be arranged well in advanmce, I have already had notice about accreditation for events in February/March next year.

If he and Alamy have not learned after 17 (?) years then there is no hope !

That is a good point about self-interest, and we also need to remember that a business, Alamy in this case, will act in their perceived self-interest. Indeed, if they didn't the directors could be in breach of their fiduciary duties.

If I were going exclusive for news I would use a specialist news agency, that may figure in my plans for next year

If you want to experience real imposter syndrome do as I have just done: Go back to college full-time at 68 to do a PhD in a completely new field after nearly 50 years out of full time education! I take comfort that my 20 something colleagues who have come straight off a Master's are going through the same thing. As does a world-renowned Professor friend! I would suggest the best performances come when you control your fears/uncertainties and get out of your comfort zone. I am going to be doing the same with my photography in the new year; no lazy, found images, or anything, for general stock.

I will not be going exclusive, simply not worth the effort. 40% of next to nothing is not so different from 50%. The reverted commission will not compensate me adequately for the time involved. After next week I will be pursuing other, more rewarding, activities in place of Alamy.I may just let my Alamy portfolio rot on the vine, most of it anyway. I regard general stock as effectively dead. My gross income for 2018 is my lowest since I joined by an (un)comfortable margin; nett is even worse since I was on 60 or 70% back then. Even my first part-year gross was higher. So no real incentive to stay let alone do any work on my portfolio; the exclusive thing is cynical in my view., I suspect most (especially inactive) contributors will not or cannot make their images exckusive (including many serious full-time professionals) so most of the Alamy library will be at 40%. That has to be the case otherwise Alamy will not get what it wanted from the commission cut; prices for exclusive are not going to go up - it is just not important for most uses. It is simply a sop to try and damp down the criticism; I agree with the NPPA view.

I too have enormous sympathy with Ed's predicament and especially facing such stress as one gets older. I am not downplaying the hassle by any stretch of the imagination, our children and friends have faced it. It is just that ex-pats can make the same complaint about our own countries (as even I can of the UK) because they do not have the history that residents have established over a lifetime, and it can still be difficult . And of course the ex-pat numbers are such that the process has never been optimised. Not a full blown ex-pat but I rented a flat and lived in Amsterdam for 18 months (commuted most weeks), at least everybody spoke English but dealing with banks etc was difficult, as indeed it is in the UK even as a long-term resident (multiple contact points etc to complete a single task, inflexibility, producing multiple ids etc). Bureaucracies everywhere seemed to be designed to create jobs and work; I have seen it from both sides I have some ex-pat international student colleagues here in the UK and they are seeing some of the same frustrations about bureaucracy. One (from USA) had to have a weekend in Spain so her new visa could be issued!

Edo, My daughter worked for ELI language school in Sevilla and they were great people so she stayed longer than intended. As Betty and John suggest perhaps they can help. She also used the language exchange (inter cambio) to help learn Spanish, but that is for down the road the important thing is to get yourself settled. Martin BTW: When we complain about the bureaucracy of countries as an ex-pat we forget that we have usually spent a lifetime establishing all the bureaucratic credentials in our native country, so it is not surprising that our new home looks to be excessively bureaucratic. I am sure new immigrants to any country will have similar challenges, but perhaps not always the language issues

Any Spanish speaker resident in or near Sevilla who could lend a hand?