By Greg Smith
NEW YORK, NY (October 30, 2007) – Beyond the glitter of manufacturers’ and suppliers’ booths at New York’s PhotoPlus Expo in October, outside the doors of its 100 or so seminars, the National Press Photographers Association and other groups representing photographers banded together to announce more progress streamlining image workflows and licensing.
The Universal Photographic Imaging Guidelines working group announced version UPDIG 3.0, streamlining the list of recommendations under 12 categories of concern, and adding a new set of Image Submission Guidelines. The latter are written from the perspective of those requesting images for reproduction. And all, including a new, interactive submission request form, are available free at www.updig.org. UPDIG also distributed tri-fold brochures outlining, in brief, the 12 basic guidelines. A PDF of that brochure is available for free download, and preprinted versions may be available by contacting info@updig.org.
Also during the events at New York’s Jacob Javits Convention Center, Picture Licensing Universal System leaders announced additional features and functionality for the group’s image licensing tools and references. PLUS CEO Jeff Sedlik explained that more than 2,000 people have contributed to the creation and refinement of the PLUS licensing glossary and the PLUS tools for standardizing image license creation, tracking and enforcement. The PLUS website (www.useplus.org) now offers: free access to that glossary; a free “Media Selector” tool that demonstrates how the PLUS licensing matrix works; a preliminary, interactive tool for creating PLUS licenses that will work with any conceivable image use; a decoder for interpreting PLUS license numbers; a new set of standards for software developers to incorporate PLUS tools in their products; and an outline of upcoming free artist and licensor registries.
Sedlik reiterated the group’s vision for a standard, universal coding system for image licenses, along with tools for tracking image licenses and finding rights holders. The latter show promise for softening the effects on rights holders of expected “Orphan Works” amendments to copyright law. As the PLUS tools come into common use, he explained, photographers and image distributors will be able to: create PLUS-based licenses (with prepared “PLUS Packs” of combined uses or in customized forms); embed license information in their images and register those licenses for, at most, a few pennies each; then track the use of registered images for pennies each using the services of one or more vendors who market image-recognition technology. Image licensors (such as periodicals, publishers and advertisers) will be able to find instantly whether, where, how and for how long an image has been licensed, as well as who owns the rights to those images.
Sedlik also answered those who doubt PLUS – a consortium supported by dozens of image-maker, image-licensor and imaging-software groups around the world – can make its solutions practical for the industry. He noted his team has met “every goal that PLUS has set since the day we were founded in November 2004 ... We have been building a standard that will be incorporated in the tools that everyone uses.”
While PLUS deals specifically with managing legal and financial transactions, UPDIG focuses on the technical concerns of providing others with images. It addresses such areas as color management, image sharpening, file naming, metadata (including PLUS licenses), resolution and archiving concerns for different media, output methods and workflows. UPDIG guidelines are strongest for commercial and magazine printing, as well as Web uses. NPPA members with specific experience devising systems for accurately and efficiently reproducing pictures on newsprint or for use on television may be able to help improve future versions of UPDIG. If you have such experience, please contact NPPA’s UPDIG representative, Greg Smith at bpc@nppa.org.
UPDIG’s lead author, Richard Anderson of the American Society of Media Photographers, said he hopes the next version – scheduled for fall 2008 – will combine the new submission guidelines with the basic UPDIG set. The new, online Submission Guidelines Text Generator is available in beta form at www.updig.org. Users can expect ongoing updates.
At this point, both UPDIG and PLUS offer their standards and existing tools without charge. NPPA has contributed volunteer efforts to both groups and is a dues-paying member of PLUS. As a result, NPPA members receive a $50 discount to become voting members of PLUS, which also entitles them to be listed in PLUS’ online showcase, use unique PLUS IDs and participate in the upcoming registries.
Smith is chairman of NPPA’s Business Practices Committee. In that role, he represents NPPA with both UPDIG and PLUS. He has helped edit several versions of UPDIG, and he was deeply involved in the editing of both the PLUS Glossary and Media Matrix.
