Hello. I've just gotten an email from someone interested in using an image of mine on their website and I'm not sure how to proceed from here.
The image in question: http://shaydethelemur.deviantart.com/art/Tribal-bunny-67417627
The email I received is worded as follows:
"Hello ShaydetheLemur,
I've been looking around for a good picture for my website and I came across your tribal bunny. I'd be interested to use this pic for my website. Would this be ok with you?"
My reply thus far is this:
"Before I agree to license the image, I need to know where it would be displayed and what it would be used for. I would appreciate it greatly if you were to forward along the website address so I can take a look at it.
Thank you for your interest in my work, I look forward to speaking with you further."
Now, two things. The first is a slight paranoia that, in not having a URL for this person's website, I can't properly track if they end up swiping the image and using it regardless of my consent to do so. (This is making me debate a) removing the image from my deviantArt gallery entirely or b) heavily watermarking the image after saving a copy to my computer.) The other is that I cannot for the life of me think of how to word a response indicating that I won't let the image be used without being compensated for it.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
The image in question: http://shaydethelemur.deviantart.com/art/Tribal-bunny-67417627
The email I received is worded as follows:
"Hello ShaydetheLemur,
I've been looking around for a good picture for my website and I came across your tribal bunny. I'd be interested to use this pic for my website. Would this be ok with you?"
My reply thus far is this:
"Before I agree to license the image, I need to know where it would be displayed and what it would be used for. I would appreciate it greatly if you were to forward along the website address so I can take a look at it.
Thank you for your interest in my work, I look forward to speaking with you further."
Now, two things. The first is a slight paranoia that, in not having a URL for this person's website, I can't properly track if they end up swiping the image and using it regardless of my consent to do so. (This is making me debate a) removing the image from my deviantArt gallery entirely or b) heavily watermarking the image after saving a copy to my computer.) The other is that I cannot for the life of me think of how to word a response indicating that I won't let the image be used without being compensated for it.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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Second, ask if they are willing to pay for licensing the image. Usually someone interested in licensing would say so and ask if a contract can be negotiated. Sounds to me like they just want to use the pic for the website just like that with no compensation (or they don't understand that you need compensation).
Third, if you do go through with it, make sure you have a contract outlining the terms and payment.
As far as I can tell they only want to use it as an icon, so I've been thinking something along the lines of five bucks a month or a flat fee of fifty for a year. Of course, if they planned on making merch with it or something, then I'd be talking about a contract with royalties at the very least.
"Sure, non-commercial use would be $x or if you're planning on making ad or other revenue through the site, that's $y. I accept blah and foo forms of payment, and can send you a high-res version of the image as soon as I get payment in. Thanks!" Or whatever variation on that sounds best to you.
In all seriousness, your response is fine, there's no need to worry if the person contacted you in the first place.
Glad to know that my response wasn't horrible, though. I always get paranoid when wording professional emails and worry that I'm going to stick my foot in my mouth somehow.