When we are asked to license a photo, the first question is always whether the client is editorial, commercial or personal. And in today's industry, the client doesn't always know. So let's break it down.

Editorial

Who is an editorial client: A news outlet. A newspaper, magazine, website or blog that publishes editorial content about a certain subject, region.

What is an editorial license: The right for an editorial client to publish an image associated with their content

What does an editorial license not entail: The right for a brand or individual to publish the image on their instagram, twitter feed, Facebook page or website. Using an image in an editorial-style does not make the license editorial if the post is associated with your commercial or personal account.

Commercial:

Who is a commercial client: Any product or brand.

What is a commercial license: The right for a company or brand to publish an image .

What does a commercial license not entail: The right from the entities depicted in the image (individuals or brands) to publish the image. While KLC fotos serves as the official photographer for multiple clients, which gives us the exclusive right to license images for commercial use, you as a commercial client, are responsible for ensuring you have the right from the organization to share images depicting their logo for commercial use as well as obtaining a model release from any of the persons depicted in the image.

Personal

Who is a personal client: An individual using the image for personal use.

What is a personal license: The right to display images for personal use. This could mean a print on a wall (or in a shoebox) in your family home, or on social media depending on the license agreement.

What does a personal license not entail: The right to share images. While some licenses include the option to post images on social media, you are not permitted to email hi-res or otherwise sub-license the image to any other individual or organization.

Having a digital copy of an image does not imply you have any rights to publish or share that image.

If you have any questions regarding what kind of client you are or what type of license you need, please don't hesitate to reach out to us!