Modern Model September 2013 | Page 26

to   their   senior   portraits   –   this  is  simply  not  the  case.     This   issue   is   o[en   further  complicated  when   t r a d e -­? f o r -­? p r i n t   pho tography   sessions   come   into   play.   Under   trade   for   print,   it   is   commonly   understood   that   the   photographer   and   the   model   possess   equal  rights  to  the  photos   –  again,  this  is  completely   wrong.     The   photographer,   who   holds   the   copyright,   also   gains   the   copyright   protecAon   as   the   owner   of   the   images.   In   the   model’s   favor,   however,   if   the   photographer   does   not   have   a   signed   model   release   from   the   subject,   h e / s h e   i s   t h e   t r u e   copyright  owner,  but  may   not   legally   have   the   right   to   commercially   sell,   print,   or   publish   the   i m a g e   w i t h o u t   t h e   m o d e l ’ s   c o n s e n t .   (However,   when   you   c o n s i d e r   c e l e b r i A e s   whose   pictures   are   taken   and   posted   daily   by   paparazzi   photographers,   it   draws   a   much   clearer   u n d e r s t a n d i n g   o f   c o p y r i g h t   l a w s .   T h e   celebriAes  do  not  consent   to   the   photos,   but   the   photographers,   who   are   Modern Model the   owners   of   the   images,   sAll   have   the   right   to   sell   and  publish  them.)         Trade   for   print   agreements   p r e s e n t   a   f u r t h e r   challenge   when   an   event   organizer   o?ers   a   trade   for  print  photoshoot,  with   a   p r o m i s e   t h a t   t h e   photographers   involved   will   provide   models   with   photos.   The   ?rst   problem   is   that   a   model   may   be   expecAng   a   large   number   of   photographs   from   each   photographer,   and   may   receive  very  few  prints.  In   some   cases,   models   end   up   receiving   no   prints   at   a l l .   A l t h o u g h   t h e   organizer   has   promised   the   model   photos,   even   the   organizer   cannot   d e m a n d   t h a t   t h e   photographer   surrender   his/her   images,   because   t h e   p h o t o g r a p h e r   u l A m a t e l y   o w n s   t h e   copyright   of   the   images.   The   organizer   may   ban   the   photographer   from   future  events,  but  this  sAll   does   not   get   the   model   the   images   he/she   posed   for.       This   is   further   c o m p l i c a t e d   i f   t h e   photographer   and/or   model   paid   to   be   at   the   event.  If  either  party  paid   Page 26 to  a]end,  the  event  is  not   a   trade   for   print   event   at   all.   If   the   model   paid   and   is  not  provided  with  prints   as   promised,   the   model   should   seek   a   refund   or   compensaAon   from   the   event   organizer.   If   a   photographer   paid   to   a]end   the   event,   this   does  not  meet  the  criteria   for   work   for   hire   in   any   w a y ,   s i n c e   t h e   photographer   has   paid   to   a]end   the   event,   which   further   supports   the   photographer’s  copyright.     In   most   cases,   for   m o d e l s   w h o   h a v e   personally  shot  with  me,  I   p r o v i d e   a   u s a g e   agreement   similar   to   a   work   for   hire   release.   U n d e r   t h e   u s a g e   a g r e e m e n t ,   I   acknowledge   that   I   am   the   copyright   owner,   but   give   the   model   all   rights   that   are   provided   to   me,   including   the   right   to   edit,   retouch,   publish,   print,   and   even   sell   the   image,   without  having  to  contact   m e   f o r   f u r t h e r   permission.       However,   I   am   the   only  photographer  I  know   that   provides   such   a   copyright  waiver.