And why you should use it to avoid misunderstandings down the road.
It is, in my opinion, a very important document, which every Photographer should be making use of – especially today in this digital age.
It’s not an Invoice or a Model Release form – it’s a separate document – which is basically designed to help avoid misunderstandings, between you and your Clients or anyone else who may be handling or wanting to use your images.
Remember, the guys in the ‘art department’ may never see your Invoice – which contains the usage agreement information – because it may have been sent straight to the ‘accounts department’. So that’s where this document comes into play – it’s a separate document, that stays with your images – designed to help prevent misunderstandings down the road.
Filling this document in is simple – just tick the boxes & fill in the blanks.
Then print it out and staple it to your contact sheets, put a pdf file of it on the CD along with your images, email it to your client… whatever it takes – so as everyone knows what has been agreed (which obviously needs to tally with what you have written on your Invoice) – as well as what has not been agreed to, which can be even more important to sometimes clearly show too.
The example below is based on the Association of Photographers’ Licence document, which can be downloaded from their website at AOP Downloads – along with other useful documents & forms.
(Please note: Having used this document for a number of years now, I have made a few minor changes to their standard template, but it’s basically still the same)
Then print their standard Terms & Conditions on the back, which is relevant to where you are based.
That’s it – my No.1 tip of the day for all Photographers – to help avoid misunderstandings down the road.
Below are the basic definitions of the Media Use terms and what each covers:-
. Ambient – includes: garage forecourt, airport and rail station screens and all public areas where advertising is screened.
. Billboards / Posters – includes: 96/48/16/12/4 sheet, superlites, escalator panels, bus sides & panels, taxis wraps & seats, bus backs, tube, underground.
. Brochure / Catalogue.
. Direct Mail – includes: door drop leaflets & postcards.
. Inserts / Prints.
. Marketing Aids – includes: umbrellas, ashtrays, beer mats, exhibition panels, trolley panels, etc.
. Magazine ads – includes: advertorial features, ads & PR.
. Magazine editorial.
. Newspaper – includes: advertorial features, ads & PR.
. Packaging.
. Point of sale – also known as ‘Point of Purchase’.
. PR – images used to promote within a press editorial/advertorial or trade handout.
. Press – includes: trade, consummer, local, national, magazine & newspapers.
. Television / Cinema – includes: interactive TV, Video, mobiles, CD ads.
. Worldwide web – includes: email ads & internet use.
For more information on this, buy the AOP’s book Beyond the Lens – “the essential guide to rights, ethics and business practice in professional photography” – which can be purchased from their website in one of two forms: conventional printed book form or immediate electronic downloads.
