>On Tue, 18 Jun 1996 22:10:46 -0700  Anne M. Derousie wrote:
>>The discussion of photographic reproduction rights comes at a time when
>>our museum has instituted a new policy regarding the fee schedule for
>>such rights. We have experienced a great deal of resistence to the new
>>fees and that raises the following questions I would like to ask of
>other
>>institutions:
>
Resistance will wear away quickly. Museums are notorious for having been
naive in pricing, and our clients have to get used to the idea that we
have "grown up" and joined the ranks of other businesses. The "product"
we sell is by no means worth less -- and is often worth more -- than
that they can obtain from other sources.



>>        What is your fee for one/time, one/publication use of a
>>        photograph? (For printed use)
>>        For commercial users?
>
Depends on type of publication, print run, distribution area (world
rights in all languages, world rights in one language, North American
rights only, etc. etc.).  This is the model used by commercial photo
libraries/agencies, and publishers are used to it.  Ask them "what
rights
do you want to license?"  Check with local photo agencies and museums to
get going market rates. You can also charge according to size of
reproduction: 1/4 page, 1/2 page, full page, double spread. Cover use is
billed at a much hight rate.  For example:  for a typical coffee-table
book with a print run of 10,000, for a reproduction up to 1/2 page, world
rights one language, we would take $100; for North American rights only,
$75. Cover: $250-300.


>>        For non-profit users?
>

Non-profit is purely a tax status.  It does not exempt you or us or any
non-profit organization from paying the same price as anyone else for
what it purchases from any supplier.  Special rates for non-profits are a
tradition, not necessarily a business decision. One should weigh
the idea  (together with one's financial officers) and decide.  It
usually makes  more sense to discount to "repeat clients", that is,
organizations with  which the museum has a lot of dealings, rather than
any random or single request from an organization which happens to be
non-profit.
>
>> >        For commercial, but small scale (ie a book with limited
>>        local interest?
>

Again, we take our model from the commercial photo libraries/agencies:
small print run books are charged less (25% less, on average).  Small
scholarly publications (those of interest to a handful of specialists)
are also charged less (up to 50% less). Your museum can also decide to
waive reproduction rights fees to small scholarly publications -- but you
will still need to charge enough to cover costs, including overhead!

>>
>>        What if a user wants ten different images for one publication
>>        Do you still charge the same rate per photograph?
>

No. Again, we use the model of commercial photo libraries: quantity
discount (e.g. 20% for 10 or more images). As in any business, if the
order is large, negotiations are certainly in order.
>
>>
>>The answers to these questions may help us resolve this issue for our
>>institution.  Thanks in advance.
>>
>>Anne M. Derousie
>>[log in to unmask]
>>Seneca Falls Historical Society
>>Seneca Falls, New York 13148
>>
>

Hope this helps. You can contact me on or off list if you have further
questions.

-------------------------------------
name: amalyah keshet
director, visual resources / the israel museum, jerusalem
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
date: 06/20/96
visit our Web site at http://www.imj.org.il
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