Rights & Royalties
Copyright and Licensing Overview
Understanding how copyright and licensing work helps ensure that both photographers and image users are protected and treated fairly. When you license a stock image, you're not buying ownership of the photo — you're purchasing the right to use it in specific ways, under clear terms set out in the User License Agreement. The photographer continues to own the image, while you gain permission to use it according to your license type.
For detailed information surrounding the terms and conditions of using an image, please see the User License Agreement.
Photographer Copyright
Every photograph is automatically protected by copyright the moment it's created. This means the photographer is the legal owner of that image. When an image is made available through Stockmore, the photographer keeps full copyright ownership, even after it's sold or licensed online.
In a royalty-free or non-exclusive licensing model, photographers allow customers to use their images under a broad, pre-defined set of terms. Once the license is granted, the photographer does not control where, how, or when each image is used — as long as the customer follows the license rules outlined in the User License Agreement. This setup gives users flexibility while ensuring the photographer remains the recognized creator.
Royalty-Free Images (Digital Use)
A "royalty-free" license allows you to pay one upfront fee to use an image across multiple digital formats — such as websites, blogs, email campaigns, and social media — without paying extra for each use. It provides flexible, ongoing access for digital applications, as long as your use complies with the license terms. "Royalty-free" does not mean the image is free or in the public domain.
The photographer still owns the copyright, and you must not resell, redistribute, or use the image in ways that are unlawful, misleading, or defamatory.
Royalty-Bearing
Commercial use means the image promotes or sells something — such as in advertising, packaging, marketing materials, or brand campaigns. These uses usually do require model and property releases, because they imply endorsement or association.
A "royalty-bearing" license means that you pay a fee tied to a specific use of an image — such as an advertisement, publication, or campaign — and that fee may vary based on factors like the number of print runs, the duration of use, the placement of the image, and the geographical locations that the image will be used in.
If you plan on using an image, any image, more than 5,000 times in print, please contact royalties@stockmore.com to discuss how you plan to use the image.
Overall
- Photographers always retain copyright — even after images are sold or licensed online. Buyers are granted permission to use the image, not ownership.
- Royalty-free licenses allow broad, flexible use after a single payment, especially for digital applications, but still require adherence to license rules.
- Royalty-bearing licenses tie fees to specific uses and often require additional payments for new or extended uses, ensuring photographers are compensated for each distinct use.
- Usage rules matter — no matter the license type, images cannot be used unlawfully, deceptively, or in a misleading way.