February 16th, 2008
Using Stock Photos: Royalty-free Vs. Rights Managed
If you have searched for photos to use on your website, you have likely encountered the terms royalty-free and rights managed. So what is the difference between these types of photos?
Rights-Managed Images: Images you purchase for a specific purpose at a specific price (think renting the photo or paying to borrow the image). The price of the picture is usually determined by how you want to use the picture (on the web, in print, etc.). The plus side to using a rights managed photo is that you will most likely NOT see anyone else using the same photo (or model) promoting another product. The downside is of course the price; rights managed photos can cost you double (even triple) of what royalty-free runs.