Question Licensing Images from Artists

CB Art & Framing

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Feb 20, 2007
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I'm working on a project where I need to license specific images from local artists to be digitized and printed.
Is there some kind of software or system whereby the artist could provide me one-time-use digital files.
I don't really want to get involved in complicated legal agreements, and want artist to be comfortable that they are being compensated when I use an image of theirs.
 
I'm a professional photographer/framer, and I agree with the above reply. Once an artist or photographer gives you a digital file of their work, everything must go on the honor system from there. Once you have that file, you have the ability to reproduce it whenever you want, even if you're not legally entitled to. Generally a photographer would make you sign a release of some sort, which would stipulate the conditions of you using their work, then hope you abide by those terms. Any artist could do the same thing for their work, but are far less likely to have a release on file (photographers are used to releases because they make people sign model releases quite often). You may want to google artist release or photo release and tweak the wording of whatever you find. Then you can show that release to whomever's work you want to use. It'll be much easier and quicker in many cases if you have something to provide to them to review/sign than if you expect them to provide it to you.
 
We use owncloud and allow the artist or photographer to control the content we hold of their work, if they so wish they can delete their own content, there's nothing stopping us copying the files, but obviously we don't
 
I own a ton of images but i bought the copy rights to them. I gave most of my artists a one time fee upfront for the copy rights , some of them i only pay when i need to print more but i am the only one who is allowed to print and sell the images. I never heard of one time use of an image though, that might be a good idea if you could work it out with the artist
 
We use a local print shop. When they print an image, they phone the artist who owns the image. That call confirms it was printed as per our agreement.
 
We use a local print shop. When they print an image, they phone the artist who owns the image. That call confirms it was printed as per our agreement.
Do you or the artist arrange and pay for digital capture?
 
The artist takes it to the printer, works on the image until they're happy with it, pays, then it remains with the printer until we call.

We have arrangements with local artists, an artist from China, and another from Orlando. The out-of-towners run on the honor system. One we pay in advance through Paypal, and draw down the royalty, then top it up, and the other is paid monthly via Paypal based on a percentage of sales.

The local artists have various arrangements. Some we pay the printer, others bring their prints to us. In a lot of cases, the printer keeps records of how many we have printed.

We also had the printer buy an image from one of the stock photo services. A bunch of cows. The client had them framed to hand out to farmers hosting day events at their operations. We paid for that image.
 
Tedh thanks so much for the input.
It seems like each artist's arrangement has to adjusted to suit the situation.
I still have lots of questions.
 
One thing I forgot to mention: I ask the artists to keystone to me. And add a bit for their costs of setup with the printer. I figure that if I want to sell them, I double my cost, which is what they should do for me.
 
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