We will sing an NDA and they also asked to relinquish copyright. I’m talking with the event planner but to my understanding the client is a multinational company. Is this normal? What would you do?
Seen this before.
It hikes up the cost of the pictures.
Just charge for the fact that you will never ever get to use the work you just created.
My experience comes from the days of film so it may or not apply. It is normal if you are willing to accept the assignment and there isn’t really any reason not to. Back in the day, we had a commercial client that wanted all of the film we generated. The assignments were a fee plus film costs and things like helicopters and we (made sure we) generated a ton. We strip developed it and gave them the rolls - the good the bad the ugly. The bigger the pile of film that happier they were. Of course each assignment was priced accordingly.
Semi-normal with big companies and usually the pay takes it into account. They can’t be arsed trying to track down the owner of an image if they want to use it in another part of the world and want to reduce risk of you objecting to use somewhere down the line. Easier to just do a buyout. Build it into the fee. Some creative orgs (RSC for example) are getting backlash over it but still common with some corporates.
I usually just shoot events, edit the photos and send them to the organiser. What they do next with them I don’t know/mind. But I’ve never been asked to transfer the ownership of those photos to anyone. I usually work for slightly smaller companies I guess that’s why. My best guess what most would do in this situation is just have them pay a licensing fee or something. Was there anything stated in the contract about ownership before you shot those photos? Or is it now, afterwards, they want to own them?
It’s pretty normal and I am fine with it and make sure I am getting a good rate for the jobs, sometimes will bump up the fee for buyout depending on the circumstances. Happy clients become return clients and I am running a business. A lot of people will preach to never give away your copyright, they aren’t wrong, just figure out what hill you want to die on
They’re not wrong, but that doesn’t mean they’re necessarily right either. As a marketing company, we walk a fine line between keeping copyright on digital assets and transferring to the client.
In the simplest form, take a logo. There’s no question that when build a client the logo that will be the face of their company, we transfer ownership (copyright) to them. That only makes sense. In my instance, I carry that a bit farther in that when we design other digital elements for our clients, we also transfer ownership. Like brochures, business cards, signage, etc. because it all ties in and they should be able to use it how they see fit forever because they’ve paid for it.
So now to the photography. I fully understand a photographers right to not relinquish copyright. But I there there is an ethical boundary that needs to always be considered. And that is when a photographer is hired to shoot an event. Or to shoot a new product launch. Basically all “work for hire” scenarios. You’re being paid to shoot very specific things. The client needs to know that they can use the outcomes of that event in any way possible, at any time, for any reason. Because it’s their product. It’s their branding. And no outside party should have a continual interest in that.
Charge appropriately and see if you get hired. But if I’m wearing the hat of the client, I’m going to require ownership of the assets I’ve hired you to deliver.
I think you need to understand value of imagery in marketing more. Licensing and usage are a big deal all around, it doesn’t matter if it’s imagery, graphics, video, software, etc. It’s all intellectual property, and legally, as creators we own that property. Now for an event, that value is likely lower than a product shot that will be shown on packaging for an item being sold around the world, but perhaps not depending on what business your client is in. If they are selling events or speaking opportunities or anything in that realm and do so on a global scale, then the price of your copyright is high.
I get that you would give the copyright of a logo to the client. I would also be absolutely shocked if you did so for $1,000. Building out marketing assets for businesses comes in all shapes and sizes. Understanding the value of usage and how much $$$ a client is going to make using your property is absolutely necessary for pricing out your work. I’ve passed many many times on working with people who want to own copyright of my imagery but are not willing to pay for it. Work with someone else or do it yourself. And doing so, for me, has returned me the highest profits and best clients I’ve ever had.
Normal in the sense, it’s normal for companies to ask this. But not all of them do.
Unfortunately fairly normal. But if you stick to your guns and grant an exclusive licence, explaining exactly what that means, you might be able to keep things sweet.
I do this for a pretty big band I photograph. Doesn’t really bother me - can still prove I work for them.
I’ve shot hundreds of business events and have never been asked to sign an NDA or relinquish copyright. This isn’t the type of picture I’m ever going to use again or license to anyone other than maybe an editorial publication if they were writing about that event, but I imagine the NDA would stop me from doing that. I wouldn’t have a problem relinquishing copyright for a fee. I’ve done it on other types of projects.
The nda is generally due to sensitive material. No idea how you´ve not run into this yet. I´ve signed nda´s going from shooting in a technically sensitive factory to shooting pictures during a high end leadership meeting. It´s pretty logical they dont want us to spill certain stuff to competitors.
This is fine as long as your pay factors that in the exclusivity, so have that conversation. I wouldn’t worry about it unless you really plan on using the photos yourself for whatever reason. Sometimes there’s just confidential stuff thats not a super big deal but they’d rather have control over.
I’ve shot for multinationals and many of them want this kind of contracts because they want to be able to set a final budget for media buys. You can work it into the main fee or add a "relinquish copyright/work for hire/exclusive rights etc. " price line in the contract and invoice
If they want unlimited use, I will have to quote an appropriate feee for it. As long as the client pays my fee, I understand the potential usage.
Sure, if you’re work for hire.
It’s a corporate event. Who cares? I doubt some random dude speaking at a podium or giving out an award for 10 years of service is going in your portfolio.
Or has much of any resale value with tons of actual press there if its a significant event.
I googled this event (annual) and I barely found mentions of it and zero pictures in the whole internet.
So its worthless outside of doing it for whomever is hiring you. Shouldn’t be an issue with doing it as work for hire.
Charge them work + edits + buyouts