Selling Your Copyright

[Steven Rowley]

There was a post today about some lawyers that wanted to buy the

photographer's copyrights to the pics that were taken for them. I'm

curious as to what the markup would be to transfer the copyright. Is

there a good all around number to use. For example, and easy

figuring; if you made $500 for the job, how much more would you

charge to allow the customer to own the copyright. Double, triple,

etc. Just curious after seeing that post.

[mikael_karlsson]

Steven:

 

You charge what you think the image might be worth for the life of the image. In other words, how much it would have sold for over the years had it been in an agency or similar. I have heard various amounts from various colleagues but they seem to range from $5,000.00 up to $50,000.00 for outright purchase of all usage rights inevitably.

 

I had someone ask me last year to purchase an image that brings in on average $2,500.00 per year. I told the person I wasn't interested unless he was willing to pay $50,000.00 or more. He wasn't.

[rich_beer]

<p>I am putting up for a sale the copyright to a fine art photo. I based my selling price on the estimated actual profit which would be made off a single gallery in the period of two years ($2400). Because the photo is of a landscape of the town in which the prints are being sold and because the limited editions of this print has been set at 1250 prints. The fully realized profit would be more than $50,000 for the limited editions alone. For me $2,400 a reasonable price to ask for a fine art piece whose value is greatest in the location specific to its origin. </p>