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World of Stock is in the business of representing photographers, many of whom make their living by licensing their photographic and design works for commercial and other uses. Our images are NOT available for free use so please do not use them without licensing, or do not ask to use our images for free. We do offer substantial discounts for non-profit, educational and other uses.
We offer two main licensing options, which are set on an image by image basis and are based on the individual photographer's own preferences. The vast majority of our images are offered on a Royalty Free basis, however we are also now offering a growing collection of images which will be available on a Rights Managed basis. See the associated sections for details on the two different license agreements.
To make things easier you can limit your searches to only one license type if you wish. Find out how to do this.
Which license works best for you? It depends on your budget and how much exclusivity you are looking for in the images you use.
Royalty Free (RF) images are priced solely on the size you require and can be used for an indefinite period of time. Once you pay for the image you receive it immediately and can use it for as long as you want. more details....
Rights Managed (RM) involves licensing of an image for a specific use for a specific period of time. Any uses outside of this specified use will require a renewal of the license and/or issuance of a new license. The price of the license will vary greatly depending on the length of time, number of issues, geographic distribution, placement, etc. The advantage to this type usage is that is highly unlikely the image will not be used 'en masse' and you are purchasing something which is more unique, almost like purchasing a limited edition painting vs. an off the shelf reproduction. more details...
The Bottom Line. If you are looking for more generic images for a lower profile project we recommend RF. If, one the other hand you are looking to satisfy a high profile requirement for a somewhat unique image and budget is less of a concern we recommend RM. Many, but certainly not all of our RM images are more editorial in nature.
You can specify which type of image license you are looking for when you perform a search, selecting RF, RM, or both. The default search will show both types of licenses and selecting an image will provide you with the licensing type in the image details.
Royalty Free License Agreement details
In general, Royalty Free image usage is very flexible. Unlike 'Rights Managed' images which have limited usages for set periods of time, once you've purchased a Royalty Free stock photo license you can use it for an indefinite period of time with no limits on quantity. You do not, however receive any exclusivity in the usage of a particular image and this image may have been sold elsewhere even quite recently.
As some conditions do apply, please read the rest of this page for more details, and click here for the latest standard RF license agreement. You will need to agree to this before finalizing your order.
Rights Managed License Agreement details
As mentioned above, Rights Managed licensing requires licensing a specific image for a specific usage over a specific period of time. The pricing of such an image must be quoted on a case by case basis and will depend on several factors, the most important of which are;
World of Stock takes advantage of a simplified licensing model, even for our Rights Managed images. Our Online Price Calculator will walk you through the steps of determining the licensing cost for your required usage. While we try to keep the options and variables to a minimum, this may mean that your specific usage is not listed. Please call to have us customize a license for your specific usage.
When you wish to license an image in this way, you can request a quote online. This can be done by clicking on the link to 'Calculate Price / Request License' and following through the steps. Once the price is agreed to and payment is made we will make the image available to you in the size and resolution you require. You will also receive a copy of the detailed license agreement which is specific for that usage. At this time it will not be possible to receive instant download of rights managed images.
Below is a fairly comprehensive list of acceptable uses of the media in the gallery. If you are unsure or would like to request a usage which is outside of this list, please contact us by sending an email to info@worldofstock.com.
We have tried to make the usage and licensing of the images on this site as simple as possible, however a few conditions do apply. Below is a summary of the main principles. Please review the license agreement for more details.
Commercial Use (example
print and/or electronic advertising, websites/blogs, product packaging,
trade show displays, calendars for resale, etc) **editorial only
restrictions may apply on some images
Editorial Use
(example newspaper, magazine, newsletters article, instructional use,
documentary film or video, non-commerical blog or informational website)
Educational Use (any use by staff or students of a registered educational institution) - **discount may apply
Non Profit Use (any use where the end user is a registered non-profit organization) - **discount may apply, **editorial only restrictions may apply on some images
Prints for display purposes (Personal or public display allowed if purchased as single use prints, no re-use or resale allowed).
Model Releases are legally recognized agreements signed between a photographer and a person or owner of property. They give the photographer the right to use the person or property contained in an image in a specified manner, usually including "for profit" usage.
Many of our images do not require releases however some images contain distinguishable people or private property where the end client may require confirmation of a release. Any images which have a release will indicate with a 'yes' beside the model/property release flag. If this is not indicated it should be assumed that no release exists for that particular image and thereby you should carefully consider whether that image is right for your particular use. In some cases editorial or non-commercial usage may still be an option. If you are not sure please contact us referencing the particular Image ID you are interested in.
It is generally accepted industry practise to give credit to the copyright holder of the image (the photographer)
for all published uses, including electronic media. We do ask that, unless it is not possible for competitive or practical
reasons you do give a photo credit in the form of;
Photographer Name / World of Stock
or Photographer Name / www.worldofstock.com
This credit would preferably appear on the same page as the image, however a credits or acknowledgement page is also
acceptable. If you have specific questions about this please contact us
Some of our images may have usage restrictions applied to them due to their content or the location they were taken. In such as case the image will be flagged as such and the restriction will be explained below the image. The most common type of restriction is 'editorial use only'. This is where our editors have determined that the image would not be suitable for Commercial use, however can be used for Editorial Use, as explained above. If images with restrictions are used outside of the recommended restriction you assume all responsibility for its ultimate usage.
Comps / Comping: Comps (short for comprehensive renderings) are used by designers and others to assess the suitability of an image for a particular layout until such time as a decision can be made as to the final usage. Comps can never be used in a final production, or distributed outside of your company and/or the end clients company. Doing so is a direct violation of our license agreement and may result in fines and/or legal action. World of Stock has two types of comps;
Abuse or illegal use of our images may result in the user being blocked from the site, fines being assessed or possible legal action.
Unfortunately, World of Stock no longer allows free usage of any of it's images other than for comping purposes and fair use / fair dealing as defined by US and Canadian copyright law. Our photographers work hard to provide the highest quality of imagery and this costs them (and us) time and money. Any and all fair use must credit (see above) the source and no removal of visible watermark is permitted.
There are other sites that offer more comprehensive free use. Some examples of these can be found here.
Should you decide to go against our wishes and those of our photographers (and break copyright), we are within our rights to pursue this within the full extent of the law. In the past this has resulted in sites being shut down, users being blocked from specific sites and/or fines being assessed. We do not allow unauthorized hotlinking, copying and pasting of our images, or modification to remove watermarks. Thank you for your understanding.