Customers called me with a problem - not sure what to do

I sell primarily digital copies of my pictures because people just do not want to pay print prices when they can go to Wal*Mart and get them alot cheaper (quality vs. price)......

Anyway, today a client called me and said that the people at Wal*Mart would not give them their pictures without a release from me. I handled it but got thinking about how this will affect other clients........

Do you have to give a release for each digital cd you sell? (Disk was sold with hi-res images) If so, how do I make it that they have right to have the images printed but yet I still have full control of what I want to do with these images (website, portfolio, etc)

What is the best way to go about this?

I'm not a pro, but this seems like it shouldn't be an insurmountable obstacle. Virtually all software comes with a EULA (End User License Agreement). Why not make up a generic text file in photoshop and save it as a .jpg, granting the holder of the CD license to print copies? You could make the license as narrow (specifying size/number of copies/no commercial use) or broad (I.E. unlimited reproductions for any reason) as you like, without giving up your copyright protections. This way if there is ever a question, your rules and their rights are specified in the first image on the CD for whoever is doing the printing to see. You can even include contact information if there's any questions.

I had to do this for a shoot I did this past summer. A simple email saying they had the right to print the photos took care of it.

Like Jetrim said, a simple text document explaining the clients writes to use the images for prints should take care of it. Just type something up and save that file on the CD you give the client so they always have it. Might not be a bad idea to give them a hardcopy as well.

I send a printed out document signed by me that states they can make prints and show it to the printer if necessary. I also have a txt copy that is burned onto the CD as well

Thats a great idea - I didn't think of that. I have it in my contract but most people don't take their contract with them to the printers....... I will start adding it to the cds...

THANKS!

I do the same exact thing that Scott does, I send them a simple letter that says something along these lines since its on my other computer.

XXXXX has permission to print photographs from Chris Johnson Photography.

and I label my the CD's that I send so they know at where ever they have there stuff printed that they have to have the "permission slip".

I just realized, now that I just installed a lightscribe CD/DVD burner, I should create a template that will burn it to the disk so everyone can read it :)

I tell the customer flat out that there is a limit of the number of copies of each photo they can reproduce depending on how much they pay me, if they want more they pay more and I note it on the release that goes with them so Wal Mart knows theres a limit. I went in got a copy of Wal Marts release then made the changes I needed for the amount of copies.

John

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Originally Posted by ChowChi-Ching

I sell primarily digital copies of my pictures because people just do not want to pay print prices when they can go to Wal*Mart and get them alot cheaper (quality vs. price)......

Anyway, today a client called me and said that the people at Wal*Mart would not give them their pictures without a release from me. I handled it but got thinking about how this will affect other clients........

Do you have to give a release for each digital cd you sell? (Disk was sold with hi-res images) If so, how do I make it that they have right to have the images printed but yet I still have full control of what I want to do with these images (website, portfolio, etc)

What is the best way to go about this?

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