Personal use and limiting file size for the end user

[Alamy]

We're looking to get your views on this, please vote using the options above.

 

Thanks

 

Alamy

[Ognyan Yosifov]

According to me it should be in pixels.

Edited October 1, 2019 by Ognyan Yosifov

[ReeRay]

Interesting survey

[mickfly]

I would reduce pixel size, not necessarily the file size, so they can only download an image with small dimensions for use on the web, social media etc.

 

My own website settings for download only images.

Edited October 1, 2019 by mickfly

[Mr Standfast]

8 minutes ago, ReeRay said:

Interesting survey

+1

 

[Harry Harrison]

Is this uncompressed file size or actual jpeg file size on disk? 

 

A limit on megapixels would be better.

 

...sorry, silly question, must be uncompressed file size, MP or pixel dimensions would be clearer.

 

 

Edited October 1, 2019 by Harry Harrison

[Allan Bell]

43 minutes ago, mickfly said:

I would reduce pixel size, not necessarily the file size, so they can only download an image with small dimensions so they can use it for the web, social media etc.

My settings for download only images.

 

Is that Photodeck?

 

Allan

 

[Allan Bell]

 

I voted on the last option above.

 

Allan

 

[geogphotos]

I actually need some guidance about what uses each file size would allow.

 

Or at least that would make my choice easier. 

 

Having said that I do allow PU.

[mickfly]

7 hours ago, Allan Bell said:

 

Is that Photodeck?

 

 

Allan

 

Yes Alan, I changed from Zenfolio, it is much better overall in my opinion, but the UI is a bit unintuitive (for me) compared to Zen.
I just have to work on it and make it pay for itself as it's quite expensive.
https://www.mickflynnimages.com/

Edited October 1, 2019 by mickfly

[Dyn Llun]

This may prove useful. I would encourage Alamy to do the same with 'presentation use'. No-one needs a full size file for PowerPoint etc.

Pete Davis

https://www.pete-davis-photography.com

http://peteslandscape.blogspot.com

https://www.instagram.com/petedavisphoto

 

 

[M.Chapman]

Alamy, why do you persist in using MB to describe image sizes?

 

I did wonder if this Alamy infographic might help? But IMHO it just makes matters worse as it's badly written, confuses file size with image size and contains errors such as implying that 800 x 1000px is 1MB. Did they mean approx 1MP, or should it say 2.3MB? If Alamy struggle to get these things right is it any surprise contributors get confused? I wonder if they confuse customers too?

 

Some of the answers you get to this survey are likely to be wrong because MB are not easy to work with. Why not use Megapixels (MP), or better still show limits based on likely PU categories? How about the following?

• Up to full screen standard computer/web/presentation use at 1,000 x 1,000 pixels = 1MP (≈ 3MB)
• Up to 1/2 A4 printed page at approx 1,800 x 2,400 pixels ≈ 4 MP (≈12MB)
• Up to A4 printed page at approx 2,400 x 3,600 pixels ≈ 8 MP (≈24MB)
• Up to A3 printed page at approx 3,600 x 4,800 pixels ≈ 17MP (≈50MB) 
• Up to A2 (poster size) at approx 4,800 x 7,200 pixels ≈ 34MP (≈100MB)  

Mark (hoping I haven't made any typos or maths errors)

 

Edited October 1, 2019 by M.Chapman
Added some detail about errors in infographic.

[regen]

I dont restrict but feel that common sense and good business sense is somewhat lacking at Alamy as they tend to adopt a rather laid back approach to handing out our files. Its not only the price but the fact that a personal use file can be refunded without any proof whatso ever that it has not/will not be used. If somebody buys a file for personal use then they should know wether they need it or not and the conditions should make it clear that a refund is not possible. 

[Steve F]

I don't restrict either. I would rather take all the sales I can get and often the PU sales bring in more than for commercial clients (go figure!) as per this thread:

https://discussion.alamy.com/topic/11689-dont-sell-for-personal-use/

 

What do people that buy PU photos do with them? Has Alamy any information on this? Do some end users use them to make an e.g. A3 size poster that they hang up on the wall?

 

And it's not a problem per se that people buy PU - presentation and PU are the same price, and anyone with a website doesn't need a large image file size so this proposal wouldn't help. It's more that commercial clients sometimes buy the wrong license type, accidentally or perhaps deliberately sometimes. But what size are commercial clients generally using our photos at? Books, magazines (not full page), website, etc. none of these need a large file size - so will putting a file size restriction on PU have much if any effect at all? Not for these uses if someone is determined to buy the wrong license type.

 

I would be more interested in a more robust system of chasing infringements. I understand that Alamy can't be too aggressive about this as they don't want to scare clients away and often there is no means of recourse in a lot of countries. Is there any means of providing support to individual photographers to chase infringements through a third party company say? Is there any technical way of making it harder to remove the Alamy watermark?

 

Anyway, that's my thoughts, I'll stop rambling now!

Steve

Edited October 1, 2019 by Steve F

[Bill Kuta]

I currently allow PU sales, but I've never cared for the way the terms are stated, with plurals for "prints, cards and gifts," and "not for commercial use, not for resale."  What's not for resale, the downloaded image, or resulting prints, cards and gifts? How many PU buyers know what "commercial use" means?

 

I personally understand what is meant, but how about someone looking for images to put on cards they intend to sell? I suspect they will interpret most favorably for themselves.

 

And if Alamy is catering to the professional image buyer market, why list Personal Use and Presentation first? The usages don't all have to be in ascending price order.

 

Edited October 1, 2019 by Bill Kuta

[Russell]

Looks like there's a consensus emerging. Sale criteria should be Pixels not MB. I'd certainly support that for both PU and Presentation.

Edited October 1, 2019 by Russell

[Phil Crean]

13 minutes ago, Bill Kuta said:

And if Alamy is catering to the professional image buyer market, why list Personal Use and Presentation first? The usages don't all have to be in ascending price order.

 

+1

This is crucial...Don't make the first choice available at the lowest price pint...

Phil

[Doc]

21 minutes ago, Bill Kuta said:

And if Alamy is catering to the professional image buyer market, why list Personal Use and Presentation first? The usages don't all have to be in ascending price order.

+1

 

I would like to see Personal use restricted to a maximum of 5-10MB  AND with no refunds allowed

 

Kumar

 

PS. Alamy - thank you for asking

Edited October 1, 2019 by Doc

[Bill Kuta]

Kumar, you beat me to it--I just signed back on to say:

 

Alamy, thanks for asking!

 

 

Also, who is the intended market for PU sales? If non-professionals, then shouldn't the terms be spelled out at more length than the pro shorthand that's used for everything else?

Edited October 1, 2019 by Bill Kuta

[York Photographer]

Should be non refundable, and limited by pixel dimensions, priced on an increasing scale according to dimensions

[Steve F]

Non-refundable. I'm not sure what the law is in other countries. But in the UK:

 

https://www.gov.uk/accepting-returns-and-giving-refunds

 

"Online, mail and phone order sales

Online, mail and telephone order customers have the right to cancel their order for a limited time even if the goods aren’t faulty. Sales of this kind are known as ‘distance selling’.

You must offer a refund to customers if they’ve told you within 14 days of receiving their goods that they want to cancel. They have another 14 days to return the goods once they’ve told you.

You must refund the customer within 14 days of receiving the goods back. They don’t have to provide a reason."

 

I'm assuming this includes digital files, but please correct me if I'm wrong!

So, would be nice to have, but illegal essentially...

Sorry!

Steve

Edited October 1, 2019 by Steve F

[geogphotos]

It seems that it would be better to divide Personal use into two.

 

1) Personal digital use - web, blogs, Powerpoint

 

2) Personal print use - gift cards, home prints

 

and perhaps

 

3) Personal digital and print use

 

At different prices for different file sizes?

[Steve F]

1 minute ago, LawrensonPhoto said:

No refunds after 30 days (to stay within consumer rights?)

Images sold by pixel size (with cm or inches in brackets so a consumer can clearly see what size image they are getting)

£100 per image (or is that too much to ask)

 

I think a time limit on refunds is a great idea.

I think £100 is:

But we can all dream

 

[M.Chapman]

I'm not currently opted out of PU, but have seriously considered it sometimes. Although a single PU size limit might be easy to for Alamy implement I think it misses the point, and an opportunity to create extra revenue.

 

I think what's needed is a tiered system of pricing using the size guide I suggested above, with gross pricing something like this.

• $9.99 for up to full screen standard computer/web/presentation use at 1,000 x 1,000 pixels = 1MP (≈ 3MB)
• $14.99 for up to 1/2 A4 printed page at approx 1,800 x 2,400 pixels ≈ 4 MP (≈12MB)                        
• $29.99 for up to A4 printed page at approx 2,400 x 3,600 pixels ≈ 8 MP (≈24MB)
• $34.99 for up to A3 printed page at approx 3,600 x 4,800 pixels ≈ 17MP (≈50MB) 
• $49.99 for up to A2 (poster size) at approx 4,800 x 7,200 pixels ≈ 34MP (≈100MB)  

All single personal use, and not for resale in any form.

This introduces a lower* price than today for the lowest resolution images, but higher prices for larger sizes. Any comments on pricing welcome...

*I notice that my PU sales prices seem to vary widely by territory

 

Mark

[Phil]

2 hours ago, Russell said:

Looks like there's a consensus emerging. Sale criteria should be Pixels not MB. I'd certainly support that for both PU and Presentation.

 

This.  The survey is not asking the right question.   Should be based on pixel dimension.  i.e. longest side   Also a PU/Presentation refund time limit

Edited October 1, 2019 by Phil