I am adding to this discussion, as I am searching around the world for historic images for a new exhibition, and am finding that some collections formerly associated with museums and institutions have given their image collections to image banks. These images then cost us, as a non-profit institution, between US $200 and $400 per image.... far too expensive for us to use. Once this is transferred into Australian dollars ... think a thousand a pop.
This means that we cannot use those images most significant to the historical context of the exhibition. An alarming trend indeed.
Adrienne Leith
Curator, Mapping the Mind and Body
Human Mind and Body Program
Museum Victoria
G.P.O. Box 666E
Melbourne
Australia 3001
Telephone: 9291 2186
Email: [log in to unmask]
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From: David E. Haberstich[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Reply To: Museum discussion list
Sent: Wednesday, 25 August 1999 14:52
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Photo Fees
Erica,
In my Smithsonian Institution office, we charge a "reproduction" or "use" fee
only for commercial reproduction in books, magazines, etc. There is no usage
fee for study photographs ordered by the public or for reproduction in
non-profit or scholarly publications. One exception is that we're going to
start charging a small fee for reproduction of still images in non-profit
films and video, with a higher charge for commercial film and video.
The Smithsonian photographic service charges a "materials fee" for non-profit
purchases of photographs and image scan files, but much heftier prices to
commercial buyers--whether they reproduce them or not. I personally disagree
with the latter policy, but have no control over it. It seems unfair to me,
since commercial publications often want a selection of images before they
make a final decision on what they will actually reproduce; this tends to cut
down on the size of their orders, and (I assume) the number of images they
end up reproducing, thereby limiting our total reproduction fees! This seems
inconsistent with standard business practice. Imagine a businessman going
into a store and being told he has to pay nearly three times as much for a
computer--or for a ream of paper--as a non-commercial customer; I once worked
in a camera store where we gave a discount to professionals, not a surcharge!
Anyway, we hit our commercial users twice--once with a surcharge on the
photographs, then a separate reproduction fee if they actually "use" them.
End of editorial comment, before I get myself in trouble!
I'll be happy to send copies of our policies and price lists if you'll give
me either a mailing address or fax number.
David Haberstich
Archives Center
National Museum of American History
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