New AP Stringer's Contract

There's a new AP contract coming for stringers (freelance photographers) coming. Actually if you

want to work for AP as a stringer you have to sign it by June 1, 2008 otherwise you won't working

for them anymore. Here's a link with a look at it.

 

http://photobusinessforum.blogspot.com/2008/05/2008-ap-contract-analysis-section-1.html

 

Please let me know what you think about it. I think it reminds of the first AP contract that was

offered to stringers way back in 1997, a very bad contract for the photographers involved. I

remember nobody signed it and it was reworked with better terms for the photographers. which still

wasn't the industry standard for good work for hire contracts for photogrpahers, better but not a

great contract.

 

Let me know what you think. Thank You!

 

Note: I posted this in the News forum also, I just want to get the word out to as many people as

possible and get their comments so everyone can be informed.

AP = Always pushing. More, more, more from you and less money for what they get. They want everything and deserve nothing.

 

Rights grabs is their working model these days.

 

Used to be worth dealing with but not any longer.

 

Enough know little about business and will sign anything. Others figure AP will be good to them and end up delivering pizza or some other work because they can't make money giving away their work for nearly nothing.

 

AP is not a friend of the working photographer.

It reminds me of the old joke: <br>

You can't spell stupid without UPI and you can't spell Cheap without AP.

Just an update to my original posting on the new contract.

 

Just some of the points that I have learned about it are:

 

1. All rates and expenses (mileage) are to be decided before going on the assignment, which really

applies to an out of town assignment, but if

there's anything extra, you pick up the tab not AP in town or out of town.

 

2. The stock photo sales, 25% to you as the photographer are for third party buyers only. Sounds

to me like the stringers are working for AP for free or doing their work for them for the out-takes. I

see no real money coming to the stringers. Members and subscribers to the AP service have to

pay for the photos, stringers won't see a percentage of the sale. Only if the photos are sold to a

third party will the stringers see any money out of the stock sale. (They want the photographers to

file all their out-takes from the assignment with this contract, so AP can sell them as stock.)

 

3. If any AP member or AP (maybe even the stock photo sale) anywhere misuses your

photo...guess who can get sued? That's right...the photographer, AP

gets a free pass.

 

4. The assignment rates are all over the place. Each bureaus can pay you what they want, period,

no universal or national rates.

 

5. All invoices have to invoiced on your personal photo stationary (hard copy) and assignment

photos have to be itemized with it. No more email invoices.

But on the bright side they are to be paid in thirty days from the date on your invoice. Not really a

big deal.

 

I'm sure there's more problems with it, but I can't think of them right now.

Thanks for posting this. I wont bother getting near any agency like that with a ten-foot pole. Do any of these genius MBA pinheads realize that photogs are skilled thinkers with other career ops? Like video, web authoring, coding even game design? You know, careers that pay. Photogs get screwed because they allow it because it has zero bar to entry and its pretty fun...the shooting part, not the rest. Why isnt there a better photogs union to prevent this trash?