Comparing quotations with different image-use permissions

Price follows permission. A photograph you may post on a family chat is a different product from one you may print on a billboard, even if the same person took it at the same event.

This page belongs to our pricing and quotation guide. It helps you notice when quotations differ because the permitted use differs. It does not give legal advice. For the rights themselves, see our privacy, permission and image use guide.

Why does permitted use affect price?

A photographer's work has value beyond the event. A wider permission lets you use that value more widely, and a supplier may reflect that in the quotation, or in the terms. Some suppliers set one permission for all clients. Others offer tiers. Both are legitimate. The point is that the quotation says which.

Three terms recur: who may use the images, for what purpose, and for how long and where. A clear quotation answers all three.

What is the legal position?

Three layers sit together, and it helps to keep them apart.

• The law: in Malaysia, the Copyright Act 1987 governs authorship and first ownership. For photographs, the Act defines the author by reference to who made the arrangements for taking the photograph, and it has rules for commissioned work and employees. These rules can be changed by agreement, and the full text should be read in the official version.
• The contract: the quotation and terms say what is licensed or assigned, to whom and on what conditions.
• Venue rules and business policy: a venue may restrict photography, and a supplier may have a standard policy on use.

Because these interact, a qualified lawyer should review any legal interpretation or proposed wording. This page only helps you see the differences when comparing. See also copyright ownership and permission to use event photographs.

A worked comparison

For example, imagine a hypothetical company conference with two quotations for similar coverage.

Use	Quotation A	Quotation B
Internal reports	Allowed	Allowed
Company website	Not stated	Allowed
Social media	Allowed	Allowed
Press release	Not stated	Allowed with credit
Paid advertising	Not allowed	Separate agreement
Duration	Not stated	Twelve months

The totals will differ, but so do the rows. Quotation A's silence on website and press use is a question, not a verdict. Ask, then compare again.

What else can differ?

Permission may depend on:

1. Credit: whether the photographer must be named.
2. Editing: whether you may crop, retouch or alter the images. See cropping, retouching and modifying photographs.
3. Sharing: whether sponsors, venues or partners may receive the files. See sharing images with sponsors and suppliers.
4. Portfolio use: whether the supplier may show the images. See agreeing whether photographs may appear in a portfolio.

Each of these is a point to settle in writing. If they are missing from a quotation, ask.

People in the photographs

Permission to use an image from the photographer does not remove the need to think about the people shown. Whether consent or notice is needed depends on the use, the setting and the law. Our guide on permission to photograph and permission to publish explains the distinction. For business reuse, see using event photographs for business and reporting.

A common mistake: comparing totals before permissions

The lower total can look better until a use you need turns out to be missing. For example, a hypothetical team picks the cheaper quotation, then wants to put a few images in a recruitment advertisement. The quotation was silent on advertising, so the team must ask for an extension afterwards, with fewer choices.

Avoid this by listing your uses first. Check each quotation against that list before you look at the totals.

How to compare

Use our quotation comparison tool to record the permitted uses per supplier. If you are still deciding the purpose, the brief builder helps you state it. Where a use is not covered, ask the supplier whether a wider permission is available and how it would change the quotation.

What we do

We state permitted uses in the written quotation so you can see them before you approve. If you need broader permission, tell us and we will set it out in writing. For legal interpretation or contract wording, we suggest your adviser reviews the document.