"User-generated photos is turning out to be a real business."
Great article by Erin Griffith over at PandoDaily on how the our UGC marketing partners south of the border (OlaPic, Percolate, Chute, Curalate) are addressing the UGC problem.
Respecting the candid photographer's rights is a fundamental cornerstone of our company, so much so that we drafted our charter around it. What Erin's article highlights pretty succintly is how UGC is reused by brands changes the permissions you need.
In the case of OlaPic and Candid's e-commerec solutions, tactical use of the original images at the time of purchase (without making copies) is fair use under the social outlet’s Terms of Service. In the case of Percolate, Chute and Curalate, where focus is more on reuse of UGC across social media, billboards and banner ads, the user's consent is certainly required.
User-generated photos is indeed turning out to be a real business, but many of the more promising scenarios are only possible with the partnership of the Candid photographer.
