Pearson Education seems to be expanding its textbook sales in Asia. A couple weeks ago, we reported on a request from the India office. Recently, two photographers have contacted me for guidance on how to respond to a request for re-license of images used in the (c)2000 Science Explorer program in China.
There is a tendency to think that because there are so many poor people in China and India, the cost should be discounted. The India request even asked that the usage be free of charge. I have counseled against that.
The China request is for rights to print up to 250,000 new copies for a term of 11 years plus an additional 100,000 copies printed in 2002 that Pearson has just discovered they inadvertently failed to request permission to print.
I have recommended that depending on size of use, rights-holders multiply the fee they would normally charge in the U.S. for a 40,000 print run by the following factors for the additional circulation.
Circulation: 10,000 Multiple: 0.70
Circulation: 20,000 Multiple: 0.85
Circulation: 40,000 Multiple: base
Circulation: 80,000 Multiple: 1.5
Circulation: 120,000 Multiple: 2
Circulation: 250,000 Multiple: 2.75
Circulation: 500,000 Multiple: 3
Circulation: 750,000 Multiple: 4.25
Circulation: 1,000,000 Multiple: 5.25
Circulation: 1,250,000 Multiple: 6.5
Circulation: 1,500,000 Multiple: 8
These multiples, while higher than those often quoted by many stock agencies, are reasonable considering the circulations. In at least one case, it looks like these prices have been accepted without challenge.
These factors are base charges and do not reflect any penalty for failing for seven years to compensate the image creator for the use of the image. One wonders how many other printings have been made in various foreign countries in the last few years for which permission were never requested.