Did you know that it is illegal to license for commercial use pictures of hundreds of the most popular, beautiful and interesting venues around the world? In many cases it is also illegal to use such pictures for editorial purposes.
In addition to Places and Landmarks there is a long list of Common Objects, Brands and Trademarks that have intellectual property infringement issues. Shutterstock has put together a list of
over 300 such subjects. For the most part they will not accept images of these subjects into their collection. They also note that the list is not all-inclusive and there may be other images they won’t accept for the same reason. Many of these locations and subjects are things photographers love to photograph.
Photographers may be surprised that photos of the Iwo Jima Marine Memorial in Washington, DC cannot be used for commercial purposes although they may be considered for editorial use. Also, the concept of Multiple Screens on a Black Background or a Wall of Screens is copyrighted and unacceptable for commercial use if there is a reflection on the floor; a curve in monitor placement or a man watching the monitors.
Where appropriate Shutterstock provides clues as to what might be acceptable. For example photos of soccer, rugby or volley balls “must be blank or feature the black & white generic pattern design.”
This information can be very useful for all photographers planning shoots, not just those who are submitting images to Shutterstock. Most other agencies have similar acceptance rules. Even if they don’t, most professional image buyers are well aware of the kind of images that might create problems. Even when such images are available designers will tend to avoid using them.
If licensing is the photographer’s goal, there is no point taking pictures that will be rejected when submitted for marketing. And there is certainly little point in taking the time to correct and keyword such images.
Shutterstock Blog
The
Shutterstock Blog is filled with other useful information for all image creators, not just Shutterstock contributors.
This month they have an infographic on the “
Top Color Trends of 2014” that are expected to dominate design in the coming months.
They also have interesting features that allow designers to search for images with a particular
Color Palette or
Color Spectrum in addition to keywords. Given the size of Shutterstock’s collection this could help designers focus in on the images that are most appropriate to their immediate needs.
As best I can determine these options are not currently available through the “Refine Your Search” option on Shutterstock’s main search page. However, it seems likely they will be in the not too distant future.
Image creators should be aware of how these options work and consider how they might appeal to buyers.