Matt Ashmore Posted April 8, 2016 Share Posted April 8, 2016 One of the image communities mentioned in a recent Alamy blog has a different approach to acquiring property and model releases which I quite like. For each person or property owner in one of your images, you supply an email address and the community website automatically sends that person an email asking them to complete a release. The email they receive shows them the image that you are asking for a release for and contains a hyperlink which takes them to a web page (on the community's website) in which they supply their details, tick boxes to give approvals and so on. While I guess the resultant release doesn't then have a physical signature and isn't countersigned, it presumably has an 'electronic signature' and obviously is deemed as acceptable by this image community. While I don't see this as replacing the current Alamy approach to releases, it might be a useful alternative particularly when gaining releases in hindsight from people that you know like friends and family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustydingo Posted April 8, 2016 Share Posted April 8, 2016 An e-mailed electronic "signature" isn't a signature and isn't worth the paper it's not written on as far as legal model releases go, or so I'm told . . . dd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotoDogue Posted April 8, 2016 Share Posted April 8, 2016 I'm not sure I understand the purpose of this "community." If anything, uploading a form with a person's email, address, age, or property, along with an image, might intrude on their privacy. Granted I may be a bit oldschool but I feel releases are between the subject and the photographer. Having this information is one thing, releasing it to third parties is entirely different. fD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marianne Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 Electronic signatures are often valid, but I too don't quite get the concept of this community. Is there a link so we have a better idea of what you're talking about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustydingo Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 An e-mailed electronic "signature" isn't a signature and isn't worth the paper it's not written on as far as legal model releases go, or so I'm told . . . dd All VAT and tax declarations in Belgium are signed electronically. So, yes they are legal. Cheers, Philippe Please please please please PLEASE please read ALL that I wrote, THEN comment . . . dd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacecadet Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 An e-mailed electronic "signature" isn't a signature and isn't worth the paper it's not written on as far as legal model releases go, or so I'm told . . . dd All VAT and tax declarations in Belgium are signed electronically. So, yes they are legal. Cheers, Philippe Same here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Ashmore Posted April 10, 2016 Author Share Posted April 10, 2016 Electronic signatures are often valid, but I too don't quite get the concept of this community. Is there a link so we have a better idea of what you're talking about? Maybe "community" was the wrong term.. Maybe they are a "mobile collection"... even though you appear to be able to upload an image taken with any camera via their website. Anyway, the company I refer to is mentioned as a source of pictures for Alamy in this blog: http://discussion.alamy.com/index.php?/topic/5582-alamy-blog-5-content-sources-that-might-surprise-you/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotoDogue Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 If you're referring to the community I think you are, they do seem to enjoy collecting email addresses. I can barely browse the site without a pop-up asking me to provide one. Their privacy policy indicates they collect a lot of personal data as well, including social security or tax ID number, some of which may be shared. I wonder how much personal data they request when someone signs a model release. Some people may not mind disclosing personal information to a third party. For others it may act as a deterrent to signing a model release. Once the model release is complete does the photographer receive a copy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 An e-mailed electronic "signature" isn't a signature and isn't worth the paper it's not written on as far as legal model releases go, or so I'm told . . . This is rapidly becoming less of an issue as courts catch up with the current needs for electronic signatures. I suspect within the next several years they will become the norm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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