Truly a case of no good deed going unpunished!

As an industry, we need to have a fee schedule, and we need to abide by the
fees we set.  Otherwise, we are indeed saying that "free" is equal to
"worthless," not just in the case of copyrights, but in the case of admission,
consultations, speaking fees, etc.  It is perfectly OK to say, "The $45 fee for this
program is covered by your tax dollars, we thank you for your support."  Very
few folks get shirty when they find their taxes are going to support such good
works as museums accomplish.

In this case, presumably you have pro bono counsel -- and yes, it would be
advisable to contact your counsel.  It is within the realm of possibility that
the "lawyer letter" is designed to scare you into going away, and if the
possibility of going to court materialized (a great deal less expensive if your
counsel is donating time), that might change quickly.

Thank you for sharing this real-life story.  What will you do in the future
if asked for a similar fee waiver?  I have traditionally refused to waive fees
($100/hour, potential discount for including the museum's information in
conjunction with the shot) for a professional photographer to shoot images of our
exhibits for resale (note cards, posters, art prints, etc., etc.).  I have
encountered indignation; I maintain that if someone is planning to make money off
our collections/building, the museum should have a share.

Liz Bleiberg

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