Author Topic: RF and RM on alamy (Read 6671 times)

vladimir · « **on:** January 20, 2017, 12:25 »

Is it ok (or legal) to sell images as RM on alamy while I am selling them as RF on other sites ?...what is your experience with RM ?

ShadySue · « **Reply #1 on:** January 20, 2017, 12:42 »

Quote from: vladimir on January 20, 2017, 12:25

Is it ok (or legal) to sell images as RM on alamy while I am selling them as RF on other sites ?...what is your experience with RM ?

No, you can only sell files with the same licence as you're selling elsewhere.

I only sell RM there, mostly editorial or likely-to-be-used-as-editorial. Alamy might overtake iS this year (and for now, I'm only uploading to Alamy), who knows? But everyone's port is different.

vladimir · « **Reply #2 on:** January 23, 2017, 08:24 »

Quote from: ShadySue on January 20, 2017, 12:42

Quote from: vladimir on January 20, 2017, 12:25
Is it ok (or legal) to sell images as RM on alamy while I am selling them as RF on other sites ?...what is your experience with RM ?
No, you can only sell files with the same licence as you're selling elsewhere.

I only sell RM there, mostly editorial or likely-to-be-used-as-editorial. Alamy might overtake iS this year (and for now, I'm only uploading to Alamy), who knows? But everyone's port is different.

Thanks. So the only thing I dont quite understand betwen RF and RM is why would anyone buy an RM if RF are cheaper ? or they are not ?.....I understand that RM its a one time buy per one time use so if a buyer wants to use the photo for the second time he has to buy it again.

Brasilnut · « **Reply #3 on:** January 23, 2017, 09:01 »

Quote

So the only thing I dont quite understand betwen RF and RM is why would anyone buy an RM if RF are cheaper ? or they are not ?.....I understand that RM its a one time buy per one time use so if a buyer wants to use the photo for the second time he has to buy it again.

Firstly, nobody is buying or selling anything as the photographer retains full copyright, customers are licensing for a specific usage.

You are right that under a RM model its for a one-time usage, at the end of that usage the customer would have to either extend the existing license or renegotiate a new one.

It's a myth that RM is more expensive, as it depends on the usage. In fact, RF may be more expensive.

There are many reasons why someone would want to license under a RM license, namely:

- Exclusivity: this option is not available under a RF model, as customers may use and re-use the same image numerous times. Perhaps the customer wants to license an image exclusively for a certain period (such as one year) which is to be directly associated with the brand. In this case, he would receive protection from the Agency that such image has not been licensed numerous times already for numerous uses. The danger is that a competitor has the same image and uses it to take away business (it does happen unfortunately). One example would be a customer to licenses an image exclusively for a book cover which will make 100,000 prints;

- RM are usually of higher quality and more original but this is becoming less so as the standard of RF images has improved;

- Some Marcrostock Agencies make it easier for customers to find what they are looking for, with a more bespoke service, instead of searching through 1000s of similar thumbnails in Microstock's RF bank;

Hope that clears things up

Brasilnut

ShadySue · « **Reply #4 on:** January 23, 2017, 14:34 »

Quote from: vladimir on January 23, 2017, 08:24

Quote from: ShadySue on January 20, 2017, 12:42
Quote from: vladimir on January 20, 2017, 12:25
Is it ok (or legal) to sell images as RM on alamy while I am selling them as RF on other sites ?...what is your experience with RM ?
No, you can only sell files with the same licence as you're selling elsewhere.

I only sell RM there, mostly editorial or likely-to-be-used-as-editorial. Alamy might overtake iS this year (and for now, I'm only uploading to Alamy), who knows? But everyone's port is different.

Thanks. So the only thing I dont quite understand betwen RF and RM is why would anyone buy an RM if RF are cheaper ? or they are not ?.....I understand that RM its a one time buy per one time use so if a buyer wants to use the photo for the second time he has to buy it again.

On Alamy, a no-restrictions RM sale can be cheaper than an RF file for exactly that reason. It's only if the buyer wants restrictions put on future sales of the file that the price goes up to reflect that.

In fact, if you actually make the effort to look at an Alamy RF-designated file, you'll see that they actually have implemented (for quite some time now) a hybrid licence by which someone can buy an RF file as RM for a particular use (with no restrictions possible on future sales of the file) for a lower price (priced by use), or they can choose RF for a higher price (priced by filesize).

BTW, once you make the effort, don't get too excited. I get very few sales at the 'rack rates', just about everything is discounted pretty heftily. In fact, even the rack rate is a lot lower (for RM at least) than when I started.

Jafo2016 · « **Reply #5 on:** January 23, 2017, 20:12 »

http://www.alamy.com/contributor/how-to-sell-images/understanding-stock-image-licensing/

How to license.

http://discussion.alamy.com/index.php?/topic/158-rm-vs-rf/page-2#entry4520

See what this Semmick and Christian58 have to say. They seem really experienced.

http://www.alamy.com/blog/licensing-stock-images-with-alamy

Or read what Alamy blog advice.

ShadySue · « **Reply #6 on:** January 23, 2017, 20:23 »

Quote from: Jafo2016 on January 23, 2017, 20:12

http://www.alamy.com/blog/licensing-stock-images-with-alamy

Strange, there they say, "Each image can only be sold under one licence type, so it will either be marked as RF or RM"
Yet you only need to do any search, tick RF only, look at any file, and you'll see the RM/RF as I noted above.
(It doesn't work 'in reverse' with RM files, these don't have hybrid licence options).

Maybe the hybrid licence terms on designated RF files arrived after that blog was written last Jan (?)

Brasilnut · « **Reply #7 on:** January 24, 2017, 05:25 »

I found this White Paper by Alamy entitled, "Image Licensing:Time for a change?" interesting:

http://creativematch.com/newsfiles/pdf/Alamy%20White%20Paper.pdf

YadaYadaYada · « **Reply #8 on:** January 24, 2017, 13:44 »

Quote from: ShadySue on January 23, 2017, 20:23

Quote from: Jafo2016 on January 23, 2017, 20:12
http://www.alamy.com/blog/licensing-stock-images-with-alamy

Strange, there they say, "Each image can only be sold under one licence type, so it will either be marked as RF or RM"
Yet you only need to do any search, tick RF only, look at any file, and you'll see the RM/RF as I noted above.
(It doesn't work 'in reverse' with RM files, these don't have hybrid licence options).

Maybe the hybrid licence terms on designated RF files arrived after that blog was written last Jan (?)

Absolutely right Sue. Years ago they said, if it's RF anywhere, it can't be RM on Alamy. Then they softened and wrote if it's RM on Alamy and hasn't ever sold anywhere RF it's OK. Just delete the one that hasn't sold before if you get a download. Then they said, RM is only important for exclusive and even if it's sold before, they can contact the buyer and ask. No wonder we are confused.

My personal view has been, if it's RM on Alamy I can't license it RF anyplace else. License conflict. There seem to be some loopholes for people to do both, and now Alamy is going to make Editorial RF. What about my RM licenses on Alamy?

If you find the place where Alamy said it was OK to do both, until one sells, please link. It was in the old forums and quite the controversial thread.

Alamy has no shortage of controversy. Now and then somebody will go off on Microstock and how that's ruined sales, and how letting those Microstock people into Alamy will ruin the collection with junk images. Seems to me that Alamy runs the site, reviews and makes those business decisions, not the artists.

Brasilnut · « **Reply #9 on:** January 25, 2017, 10:30 »

Quote

Thanks. So the only thing I dont quite understand betwen RF and RM is why would anyone buy an RM if RF are cheaper ? or they are not ?.....I understand that RM its a one time buy per one time use so if a buyer wants to use the photo for the second time he has to buy it again.

Just licensed a RM editorial on Alamy today for $5.13. After all commissions, I got paid $1.54

ShadySue · « **Reply #10 on:** January 25, 2017, 15:08 »

Quote from: Brasilnut on January 25, 2017, 10:30

Quote
Thanks. So the only thing I dont quite understand betwen RF and RM is why would anyone buy an RM if RF are cheaper ? or they are not ?.....I understand that RM its a one time buy per one time use so if a buyer wants to use the photo for the second time he has to buy it again.

Just licensed a RM editorial on Alamy today for $5.13. After all commissions, I got paid $1.54

Worldwide/Czech Republic by any chance?
It's not the lowest I've had for RM, but not far off it.

Brasilnut · « **Reply #11 on:** January 26, 2017, 03:05 »

Quote

Worldwide/Czech Republic by any chance?
It's not the lowest I've had for RM, but not far off it.

Country: Worldwide
Usage: Editorial
Media: Editorial website
Industry sector: Media, design & publishing
Image Size: Any size
Start: 01 December 2016
End: 01 December 2021
Online usage only. Flat rate per image. Bulk discount.

ShadySue · « **Reply #12 on:** January 26, 2017, 17:39 »

Quote from: Brasilnut on January 26, 2017, 03:05

Quote
Worldwide/Czech Republic by any chance?
It's not the lowest I've had for RM, but not far off it.

Country: Worldwide
Usage: Editorial
Media: Editorial website
Industry sector: Media, design & publishing
Image Size: Any size
Start: 01 December 2016
End: 01 December 2021
Online usage only. Flat rate per image. Bulk discount.

Oh, $5.13* must be a set discount rate, mine specified the Czech Republic:
Country: Worldwide
Usage: Editorial
Media: Editorial website
Industry sector: Media, design & publishing
Image Size: Any size
Start: 01 December 2016
End: 01 December 2021
Online rights only. Territory: Czech Republic. Flat rate per image. Bulk discount

*Interesting for it to be exactly the same to the penny. My 'personal sales' $$ vary quite a bit, depending on the location of the buyer.

YadaYadaYada · « **Reply #13 on:** January 27, 2017, 17:47 »

My lowest commission ever on Alamy $15.54 was 2011
RM, one year license, editorial book
Country: Slovak Republic

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