In a message dated 8/17/2006 4:02:21 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [log in to unmask] writes: I'm wondering if any of you have a similar situation. An elderly photographer has given us her archive of negatives. However, she continues to get requests for prints of her photographs from collectors and for publications--this is a much needed source of income for her. She would like to have a formal agreement with us as to how all this should work now and after her death. Who handles what, who gets what profits etc. We are looking for examples of this type of agreement--if any of you have a similar situation and would be willing to share how you handle it, I'd appreciate it. I don't have a sample agreement to send because this is precisely the kind of situation I've always avoided like the plague. I would not accept a donation of a negative archive in the first place if it is still being used actively by the photographer/donor. Are the negatives loaned back to the ph otographer for her to make prints? If you have stringent registrarial rules about loans--as most museums do or should have--this could become a nightmare. Or are they simply loaned back on an informal, casual basis? If the negatives are still being used, what, really, is the point of the gift? Did the photographer/donor take a tax deduction for the gift? If so, I think that allowing her to continue to derive income from their use is questionable. I think I'd want a lawyer to look this arrangement over. If it is deemed acceptable after some qualified legal scrutiny, your institution should certainly get a percentage of the photographer's profit. I dunno, though. This just strikes me as a bad idea. Sorry to take such a "negative" view. David Haberstich ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).