BetterPhoto Q&A
Category: Getting Model Releases

Photography Question 

Todd Bennett
 

Property Release for Company Photos


I've been asked to take photos of my company's design center which has some displays in it with names like Armstrong, Shaw, etc. What is your recommendation on property releases from these companies? Thanks in advance!


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August 24, 2006

 

Mark Feldstein
  Depends on a couple of things. First, the usage of the photos. For in-house stuff, I wouldn't bother with a release.
For promotional materials, anything published and offered to the public - say, brochures, ads, Internet pages, business cards, etc. - then you need to look to the marketing agreements your company has with Armstrong, Shaw, etc. Most of those agreements have specific language that allows the dealers/rep, etc., to use images (either supplied by the manufacturer or created by the dealer) of the products along with various corporate logos in advertising/promotional materials for the individual company. So, you need to ask your company management about the extent of their authorization.
For example, if I shoot a job for Union Pacific Railroad Corp. for advertising and the photo depicts a General Electric diesel locomotive, their purchase agreement with GE allows UPRR the rights to photograph the engine for marketing purposes so long as it doesn't depict GE in an unfavorable manner.
And... if your managers don't know, they should contact the manufacturer directly to get authorization to do so... or you could always block the names on the displays. The whole reason for all this whooooo haaaaa is that corporations have a proprietary interest in their products and logos, and therefore are entitled to control how the images of them are used.
Okie dokie? Take it light.
Mark


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August 24, 2006

 

Todd Bennett
  Thanks bud. That is about what I thought. I had started contacting some of these people (i.e. sales reps) and I'm getting "no problem" from all of them verbally. We own the displays and it sounds as though it would be the same as your UPRR analogy.


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August 24, 2006

 

Mark Feldstein
  Yep. A UPRR type I scenario it seems. Lemme know if I can offer anything else for ya. ;>)
M.


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August 24, 2006

 

Mark Feldstein
  Hey Todd....if you keep this up, you're going to get a reputation around there as being a professional photographer. [Scary huh??] [Ohhhhhhh nooooooooo, don't go in there] LOL !!!!

Have a Gr8 weekend Todd.
Mark


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August 25, 2006

 
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