Releases guidance please

[cris ebbs]

As a newbie, I've read every word of Alamy's instructions, but am more confused than ever about when I might need to supply a release form, and without one, how much this limits the ability to sell an image.

Does it mean I cannot upload any photos of people without a release? What about crowds in the street? Am I also restricted in sending street images if they include a building?

It all sounds like a nightmare, and I seem unable to find any simple explanations.

Can anyone help at all?

Thanks

[Steve F]

Hi,

There's a lot of threads on the forum about this. But briefly:

 

If you have any people or property in your image and you don't have a release, then when you fill out the optional information for your photos, they will automatically be assigned as rights managed. If you have no people or identifiable property in your picture, you can list it as royalty free.

 

Some people say it makes a difference to sales which one you label your pictures as. However, Alamy seem to often  be doing licenses that combine aspects of both. Some people tend to list all their images as rights managed.

 

Property: is anything with a logo, or identifiable as belonging to a particular company, or a particular make of something, or someone's house that is recognisable. Even a part of someone's hand in a photo that cannot identify the person counts as people being in the image under Alamy rules.

 

Long story short, you can upload your pictures without releases, including crowds in the street or buildings, and they will automatically be listed as rights managed if you fill out the optional info.

 

Steve

 

[Cryptoprocta]

What Steve said, plus there is RF-editorial, which you must use for unreleased/needs release images if they or similars/sisters are on sale anywhere else as RF.

[Colblimp]

1 hour ago, Steve F said:

 If you have no people or identifiable property in your picture, you can list it as royalty free.

 

 

 

But you don't have to - you can still list it as RM.  Stop giving misleading information.

[Steve F]

45 minutes ago, Colblimp said:

 

But you don't have to - you can still list it as RM.  Stop giving misleading information.

Hi Colblimp,

You're correct, no you don't have to list as royalty free. I wrote that you can list as royalty free.

 

"Stop giving..." what on earth are you talking about??!

 

 

[Starsphinx]

So am I right in understanding this to mean that if there is property but it is not identifiable - say a red T-shirt with no logo or special stitching or anything or a plain fork with no decoration a property release is not needed?

This has been bugging me with regards to possibly doing some model shoots (I have children who can be blackmailed when they owe me money) in that I can get model releases but what about the clothes they are wearing or any equipment they are using?

[Steve F]

14 hours ago, Starsphinx said:

So am I right in understanding this to mean that if there is property but it is not identifiable - say a red T-shirt with no logo or special stitching or anything or a plain fork with no decoration a property release is not needed?

 

Hey Starsphinx, yes, that would be my understanding and is the basis I work on, but I stand ready to be corrected!

Steve

[Niels Quist]

But take care of the design. Many objects are easily identified by a certain design.

[Niels Quist]

On 9/24/2018 at 12:20, Steve F said:

Long story short, you can upload your pictures without releases, including crowds in the street or buildings, and they will automatically be listed as rights managed if you fill out the optional info.

 

 

- but you still have to choose RM manually in the Mandatory part of AIM, if your default setting is not RM - (my default setting is RM, so I don't have to remember this each time).