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Businesses that
create or use images are celebrating the release of new industry
standards that significantly simplify the process of granting,
obtaining and managing the permissions necessary to use photographs and
illustrations. The PLUS (Picture Licensing Universal System) standards
have been approved and released by the PLUS Coalition, a global
non-profit organization with widespread participation by trade
associations and stakeholders from the photography, illustration,
advertising, design and publishing industries.
New York, NY (PRWEB)
January 3, 2007 -- Officially launched in a special multi-industry
event at the annual Photo Plus Expo trade show in New York, the PLUS
(Picture Licensing Universal System) standards were established by the
largest collaborative effort in the history of image licensing,
culminating three years of intensive standards development. For the
first time, publishers, designers and advertising agency art buyers can
use universal terminology and standardized codes to simplify the
process of obtaining and managing image licenses from photographers,
illustrators and stock image agencies, worldwide.
"The PLUS standards facilitate efficient communication and commerce in
an increasingly global image licensing marketplace," says Jeff Sedlik,
President and CEO of the PLUS Coalition. "PLUS is the universal
language for image licensing, allowing everyone, everywhere to work
from the same page when licensing images."
Image licensing is the means by which artists and stock image agencies
provide their customers with permission to use photographs and
illustrations. Whether a customer commissions the creation of a new
image or elects to use an existing "stock" image, the transaction
typically involves a license, by which the copyright owner or an
authorized agent grants the customer the right to use the image. In
addition to simplifying the process of granting and obtaining image
licenses, the PLUS standards make it easy for image users to access
license information and to keep track of the rights associated with
each image. PLUS allows license information to travel as embedded
"metadata" in a standardized "License Data Format" within digital image
files.
Supplementing last year's release of the PLUS Picture Licensing
Glossary, the PLUS Coalition has released four additional licensing
standards: The PLUS Media Matrix, PLUS Packs, PLUS-ID System, and PLUS
License Data Format.
PLUS Media Matrix
The PLUS Media Matrix provides a standardized hierarchy of media
categories, media types and media options, allowing users to easily
identify and differentiate specific types of media usage such as "Point
of Purchase," "Transit" and even "Edible Media." Importantly, the PLUS
standards do not standardize fees or pricing.
PLUS Packs
PLUS Packs introduce a new universal standard for streamlined
"rights-managed" image licensing. Simple and convenient, PLUS Packs
offer the flexibility of broadly defined rights, in a form that is
simple, straightforward and transparent. PLUS Packs include the most
common commercial, editorial and personal uses.
PLUS-ID System
PLUS has assigned a universal Matrix-ID code to each type of media and
to each media usage option. Art buyers, designers and publishers use
PLUS Matrix IDs as a convenient and precise means of specifying usage
rights for commissioned and stock images when communicating with any
artist or stock agency, worldwide.
PLUS License Data Format
The PLUS License Data Format provides a universal standard for
summarizing information essential to the understanding of an image
license, such as the names of the parties, permissions granted, and any
limitations on the use of the image. The License Data Format is machine
readable, and is used by artists and stock agencies to embed image
license information in digital image files, allowing customers to
easily view the usage rights associated with any image.
The PLUS standards will appear in software commonly used to create,
edit, manage, browse, distribute and license images. Additional PLUS
components now under development include the PLUS License Generator,
License Information Panels, License Embedder & Decoder, Artist
& Licensor Registry and the License Registry, all launching in
2007. To learn more about joining the PLUS Coalition and using the PLUS
standards, visit the PLUS web site at www.useplus.org.
The PLUS Coalition promotes clear and precise communication, leveraging
current technologies to allow license information to travel within
digital image files. Designed for the global marketplace of the 21st
century, PLUS makes image licenses easy to understand, and easy to use.
About The PLUS Coalition
The PLUS Coalition (Picture Licensing Universal System) is an
international non-profit organization on a mission to simplify and
facilitate the licensing of images through the development of image
licensing standards and tools. PLUS receives significant support from
Leadership Circle members Microsoft, Adobe, Pentagram, Jupiterimages,
Adbase, Belay Development, Digimarc, Digital Railroad, ImageSpan, IPN,
IPTC, Photo District News, PhotoServe, Poundhill Software,
StockPhotoFinder, and Wong Doody. To join and support the PLUS
Coalition, visit www.useplus.org or contact membership (at) useplus.org.
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