Licensing explained
When an image is bought from Alamy, the buyer purchases the right to use that image in a particular way. This is called a licence and we offer two types:
- Traditional (L)
- Royalty-free (RF)
Traditional licensing
Represented on the search system by Traditional Licence (L). This can be both Non-exclusive or Exclusive and means that the image is licensed for a specific use.
Non-exclusive
- The buyer pays a licence fee each time they use the image, but another buyer can also purchase and use the image under the same licence.
- The buyer must specify, each time: intended use, media, territory and duration.
- Pricing is based on intended use, media, duration and territory. The territorial pricing will be matched to the specific country.
Exclusive
This is available only where the option Rights protected? appears underneath the price calculator:
- The buyer pays a licence fee each time they use the image.
- The buyer obtains exclusive use of an image under the terms of the licence: these terms may affect the use, media, territory and/or duration in which the image can by used by other buyers.
- Rights protection can be an advantage for high-profile projects such as ad campaigns and promotions.
- Pricing for this type of licence varies depending on the terms requested. Customers of Alamy would typically pay between 20-30% more to guarantee an exclusive licence for their project.
Royalty-free Licensing
Represented on the search system by Royalty-free (RF). This is a simple form of licensing and the price is determined by file size, but can vary depending on the provider. Please note that not all of Alamy's RF images are model or property released. It is your responsibility to check whether a model/property release exists and whether the usage you are using it for requires a release. Please see releases explained for more information.
- The buyer pays a one-off fee - they do not have to pay royalties to contributors on a use-by-use basis.
- The buyer will not know who else is using the image.
- The buyer should check that the image has the appropriate releases before using the image where a release is required.