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11 Reasons for Buyers to Choose Rights-Managed Photography Over Royalty-Free |
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Written by Debra Wagner
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Wednesday, 09 April 2008 |
 At first glance, it might appear that royalty-free stock photography would offer the better value for the money, so why would any photo buyer choose rights-managed stock instead? There are actually a lot of good reasons to choose rights-managed photography -- many of them too often overlooked by buyers.
Tags: stock photography, rights-managed photography, royalty-free photography
Here are 11 advantages to buying RM stock:
1. Rights-managed photography continues to be the industry norm. Although royalty-free licensing is growing at a phenomenal rate, rights-managed licensing continues to be the industry norm. RM continues to be the choice of professionals, while RF generally appeals to the smaller players.
2. Wider range of topics. The more average, run of the mill, trendy themed photos are more likely to end up in the RF arena. A search through the RF offerings on any stock photography site can verify this; duplication abounds and there is much less original content than can be found in the RM arena. The expanded range of topics is more appealing to more discriminating buyers, such as books, magazines, or any designer who prefers to purchase unique works.
3. Protection from reuse of the same image. Once an RF image is purchased, there is no limitation on the number of times it can be used. Conceivably, one person could purchase an RF image, use it an unlimited number of times, and even share it with others. Once the RF image is purchased, the control of its use is gone forever. With RM, the license spells out the particulars of how, when, and where the image is used. Not only is protection provided to the photographer, but also the buyer is assured that someone else will not "cash in" by using the same photo.
4. Top photographers sell RM. Not to sound elitist here, but those at the top of the field generally do not sell RF stock. This fact alone makes for higher quality images with a full measure of exclusivity. Think of the difference between bologna and prime rib. Both fulfill a need, but the prime rib does so with much more finesse.
5. Clients can purchase exclusive use licenses. Although purchasing an exclusive use license for a RM image may cost more, the more discriminating buyer can justify the additional expense by decreasing the risk of a similar shot being used by a competitor. With the exclusive license, the customer gains assurance against duplication, as the terms of the RM licensing allow use of the image only by the buyer.
6. RM is not always more expensive. Depending on the end use for the photo, a single use RM license may actually be the less expensive option. Since pricing on RF photos is based on size, for the small buyer looking for a photo for a single use, the better option could often be the RM license. Not only does the buyer get a better quality image, he is also assured that he will not see the same image in use repeatedly.
7. Higher quality images. A photographer is more likely to sell his best work as RM to have some control of how the photo is ultimately used. Common topics and easy shots predominate in the RF arena, which is another issue with RF.
8. Weeds out inferior images. With so many lower quality images available as RF, a lot of searching and sifting through available offerings is necessary. With RM, the client avoids the task of weeding out images of lesser quality as the offerings in RM are higher quality works.
9. Avoids imitation. Imitation of the industry leaders by their competitors or wannabe competitors is a fact of life. Designers, advertisers, and editors closely follow current styles and trends. Trendy, current styles get a lot of play and as a result, get a lot of exposure, running the risk of overexposure. People in similar fields tend to search for similar keywords and will naturally select the best of the offerings. This can lead to overexposure of a particular image as the best ones will naturally be the ones selected most often.
10. Cheaper than commissioned work. While the whole issue of similar works or copied images can be avoided by using commissioned work, budget constraints may not make commissioning photography work a viable option. RM stock photography bridges the gap for the buyer by providing high quality original content with reasonable pricing.
11. Protects the buyer. While protecting the photographer’s revenue, the specifics of the RM licensing also provide protection for the buyer. The photographer is aware of what the intended use of the image is and can therefore make the buyer aware of any likely conflicts in the use of the image. The nasty arena of brand confusion can be bypassed simply by making use of RM licensing.
The phenomenon of stock photography continues to grow with both RM and RF stock licensing models holding their respective places in the field. While there is no right or wrong, RM images provide a level of protection for both the photographer and the buyer that just cannot be had with RF.
[Debra Wagner started the DW Stock Picture Library in 1999 and acts as agent to more than 75 Australian and international photographers. She has two decades of experience in the publishing industry, having served as picture editor of Bay Books, photographic manager of Weldon Owen, and photographic editor for Penguin Books.]
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