Too many questions at one time, but wat I can say is: It needs to long to release new photos to Alamy (with Zoonar). We have now 50k photos at Alamy online, but more then 300k waiting.

But we have some very good partners like AGE, Mauritius, DDP, Picturemaxx, Fotofinder. This is, what I would offer you.

* you don`t need german keywords
* You can submit photos with more then 50 keywords, but if you do keyword-spamming, we will delete the whole portfolio !
* you can Upload also with FTP
* we have a good growing rate but we are also a newcomer. You don`?t earn as much as with the Big 5 agencies.

Maybe you`ll find more answers here:

http://www.zoonar.com/faq

Quote

They rejected some editorial photos of tennis player Ana Ivanovic, because they require a property release.

A few of my editorials with recognizable people in them was rejected by PM, but they gave no reason for the rejection. So I was asking myself why they were rejected.
Then I was reading about that problem in the topic about Zoonar here on MSG recently.
Panthermedia is German based.
According to the German law they have to ask for a model- or propertyrelease, even when the image is editorial.
I never heard about that either.
I am also not sure this is true, for I cannot find anything about this on PM�s website.

Zoonar says that it is not needed to upload the releases, but they can ask you for them when needed.
I suppose that makes them possible to sell images in other countries where the law is different?

Perhaps PM (and Zoonar) should do better to place a message to the buyer under this type of  images: �Cannot be purchased for use in Germany for this image has no model- or property release .� Otherwise they miss a part of the market.
Even photojournalists working for newspapers must have releases then?
How do newspapers and magazines in Germany get photos of celebrities and sports published  when this is true?

This is not true. We have many editorial photos without release online at Zoonar. But you cannot sell them with RF-Licence. And you need to make a true release statement like "model release not available" or "property release not available". If you say "not necessary" we have to delete the photo, because with that statement you offer the editorial photo for merchandise using. This is really not allowed in germany...

There are also some objects that cannot sell in germany as editorial as good as in other countries. Like one single woman or one single man in public without model release. The photo must have an "public interest" for an editorial using. So if you made a photo from your naked neighbour in the garden you cannot sell this photo in germany...

Quote from: gwhitton on May 03, 2011, 17:28

They shouldn't ding you for releases that you weren't able to attach before you uploaded. And to my knowledge they don't do this. However, there is one aspect of German law you need to keep in mind. Unlike Shutterstock, and IS you can't submit editorial images as RF. You must submit them as RM. ALL RF must have model and property releases...editorial included.

I don't think that's true. You don't have to have releases at all. It is ultimately the buyer's problem to figure out if a release is required for his usage. Your responsibility is only to make a correct statement as to whether a release exists or not.

If you can point me the the aspect of German law you're referring I would be interested to see that.

And Zoonar does not require you to upload releases at all, neither do you have to make a choice between editorial or commercial. From their FAQs:

"You are not required to add model or property releases at Zoonar. But we reserve the right to ask for a release if your photos are sold for commercial purposes. It is, however, important that you use the correct release settings for your photos or else they can�t be sold. If you have a release for one of your photos assign it to the photo in question in the �Manage pictures� section. Use the drop down menu and select �is available�. If you don�t have a release select �is NOT available� and if a release is not necessary (only appropriate for photos that neither show people as primary subjects nor copyright protected objects, designs, works of art, buildings and registered trademarks) select �not necessary�"

Essentially this is the best way to deal with the problem, leave it where it belongs (at the buyer).

For RF you need some of the booth release conditions:

model release available
model release not necessary

property release available
property release not necessary

But this is not only for Zoonar. You should NEVER do photos into RF, if you are not sure, that you are not offend some copyrigths like design, logo, trademarks and so far, because RF-Photos can be used for all marketing uses. For example: You have a photo with a jogging man who has adidas sneakers (with the three stripes). Some other sport shops buys this photo and adidias will ligitate that. At the end you the photographer have to pay the amount of loss !!

But: At Zoonar you also can release all RM photos to our partners. So I don`t understand your problem...

Premium is for macrostock photos and standard is what we call "midstock" in germany. We cannot fasten the release process for partner agencies, because that is not only in Zoonar`s hand. Some partners needs a long time to release new photos into their databases. At some partners the distribution agencies have to wait up to six months until a harddrive with 200.000 photos is online because this partners get to much harddrives from to much agencies at the same time. But we have 500.000 photos waiting in the pipeline... So that is a long time process.  But this is normal. You will have the same at at other distributors with this partners. There are other partners we can deliver with new photos much faster. Like DDP, Picturemaxx, Fotofinder and so far.

This really helps Michael, and is much appreciated.

I do have a related question...
Why do some photos show being accepted at first, like this:


...but then end up showing being rejected for one partner agency or even all partner agencies, like this?

then...sometimes...


Was it because the first time is done automatically based on just technical reasons such as file size, but then rejected later on closer manual inspection? Was it because I set the price level as Premium but the inspectors thought it should have been set at the Standard price level?

I'm just concerned I'm doing something wrong on a few of my photos that are accepted on Zoonar, and were initially shown as accepted for a particular partner agency, but were later shown as rejected by all of the partner agencies.

Dear Scott,
the first photo was accepted by our team, but ONE partner has not accepted this photo after submitting. The rest three partners have accepted this photo.

The second photo (third screenshot) was not accepted by our team

Hi Michael

You mentioned in your email to me "It takes 2-4 months until photos are really online at alamy because we have more than 350.000 photos in the pipeline".   At this stage it actually will make more sense to me to rather submit my images directly to them, as I can have them on their website much faster, increasing my chances of earning a revenue on them. I think your partnership idea is further great, in the sense that I do not have the time (as you mentioned) submitting to all the others (so I will continue supporting it). I will however, due to their size and reputation like to submit to Alamy then myself.

Next question however, I can not find any "opt-out" option in your partnership management area, although I do not see that your terms prohibit me from withdrawing my approval. At this stage (without Alamy accepting any of my images yet), their 180 days waiting period should not be applicable. How can I change my approval?

First Question: That`s okay, try it out directly at Alamy.
Second: If you once have accepted the terms of trade you cannot revoke this. That�s normal for a law agreement. You can delete every photo at the partner sites (after six months), but the terms of trade are still accepted. And you don`t need to release new photos to allready accepted partners. To accept the terms of trade just means that you are ABLE to release photos. Not that you HAVE TO release some photos. It is your decision which photos do you release to which partners. That`s an important feature at the Zoonar partner management !

We can fix the scroll-down process and make it easier, but we cannot change the release process because this must be fit with the german law. But there are automatic buttons down at the "manage pictures" area. Did you see them? You can mark a partner and photos will be automatically release to the quality check and keywording process...

Zoonar doesn't simply transfer all photos to a partner agency like Alamy. First we have to check the image quality and the image metadata. For Alamy we have to assign so called essential keywords and main keywords as well as some additional information (number of people visible, release information, etc.). This work is done by our editorial staff and this takes time. As a photographer you have the option the release all your images for a partner and you don't have that much work. We pay out 60% of the net revenues which we get from Alamy. That's a fair deal.
 
Currently there are 300,000 images supplied for Alamy which are waiting for an editorial check. Therefore it takes time before new images may be approved. After transmitting the images we have to wait for the final approval from Alamy. Alamy may reject an uploaded batch but luckily this didn't happen as our editorial staff works very thoroughly.
 
The Zoonar partner management offers you the the option to supply your images with only one click to different partners, e.g. AGE, Photolibrary, DDPI, Picturemaxx or Fotofinder and we will add new partners in the near future. Our goal is to build up an international distribution network with 15-20 partners. It will always take time before the images are online at a partner's site but that's usual in the photo business.

You just should release the photos which are not there yet. This is not only for alamy. This is also for AGE/THP and other partners. Except Fotofinder and APIS, because every agency has own channels for own costuimers there...

Yes, it`s correct: PapyPal is taking a fee of 3-4% since roundabout one year. But you can try moneybookers as an alternative for zoonar payments.

That`s ok for the moment. Zoonar or later you will surely come to us 

Photos from "Macro"-Photographers. If you belive it or not: There are many photographers who don`t sale photos at microstocks and many who sale a part of portfolio at microstocks and another part at macrostocks. We make very good sellings with this photos, for example at "fotofinder" in germany. I came from the macro market, and also have 50k photos at alamy, since 7-8 years. A good agency. but who wants to sell in the future too needs also microstock-content. That`s we i funded zoonar 2006 to be in booth markets...

From another Zoonar-Thread. Maybe this helps you to check our terms of trade...

Hey guys,

my name is Paul and I'm one of the Zoonar cofounders. I didn't want to interfere into this thread but the latests posts of rosta and vicu changed my mind.

It is incorrect that photographers transfer the copyright to Zoonar and that agency retains the compensation for the resale of picture material. Our company is located in Germany and therefore bound by german law. Copyright transfer is NOT allowed by german law. For those who speak german, please check this article:

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urheberrecht

Maybe there is a problem with our english translation and the word "copyright" in the brackets. In the german version of the photographer agreement we've used the word "urheberrechtliche" which possibly should be translated as "copyrighted". I'm neither a lawyer nor a native english speaker, so I'll ask our translator.

The paragraph's intent is to say: you as the photographer have the copyright but to enable us to sell your pictures you have to transfer us the usage rights and even the resale right, but the transfer of rights is non-exclusive (II.3). vicu is correct that Zoonar receives the compensation for resales at first but of course the photographer receives 50-80% (depending on her/his picture amount or revenues) of this compensation, see IV. Remuneration:

"1. As compensation for all services rendered and transfer of rights owed in accordance
with this agreement, Photographer shall receive remuneration as follows:..."

Cheers,

Paul



The copyright section in question was changed quite a while ago, it now says:

The photographer transfers to Picture Agency all rights of use of the picture
material for every kind of commercial and/or non-commercial use. The right to
exercise accessory rights and droite de suite is also transferred.

And please also note, that only the German language version of the contract is legally binding, the English translation is a service for our English speaking photographers, but not legally binding, it also says so in the English language version. Therefore, no copyrights were ever tranferred.

Best regards,
Michael