Image licensing is a legal agreement issued by the artist which allows a company or individual to use his work with or without limitations. Also, image licensing is a vital source for all artists who publish their work. It protects the author of the work and allows for financial retribution when someone uses his images or work without permission.
Here are a few of the most common licenses available.
Exclusive Rights
Exclusive Rights to images means the client inherits the irrevocable right to use the artist’s work with zero limitations. The artist no longer has control over the use of his work. Therefore, the client may reproduce those photographs on billboards, products, banners or any other form of media and profit from it.
Non-Exclusive Rights
Artists who sell and market their work use Non-exclusive licenses. This means the artist is free to sell and distribute his own work to anyone without restrictions. Most photographers place an embedded digital watermark on their pictures to protect their work. Watermarks are translucent and at the lower-right-hand side or lower-left-hand side of a photograph. Also, they comprise a copyright symbol, the year the artist completed the work, and the artist’s legal name.
Non-Commercial Rights
When an artist places a Non-commercial license on his work, his client cannot sell or use these images for profit. Non-commercial rights are good for photo exhibitions.
One-Time Use
A client, such as a newspaper, can use an image for only one project. This means that once the client uses the image, the artist has the right to do what he pleases with his work. Photojournalists make their money doing the latter.
Royalty-Free
Artists who place a Royalty-free licensing allow clients to pay to use their images indefinitely without paying for additional usage.
Rights-Management
A Rights-management license allows an artist to get paid every time a client uses his work on various projects. Most professional photographers attribute their financial success to placing a rights-management license to their work.
Creative Commons
Creative Commons allows artists to share their work for free in exchange for public exposure.