The American Society of Media Photographers, having reviewed a copy of what is allegedly a new freelancer contract from Condé Nast, calls it one of the worst the organization's staff has ever seen. Although the contract appears to leave the photographer with marketable rights, the reality is that it comes very close to assigning all rights to Condé Nast, according to ASMP, which is urging photographers to negotiate changes before signing the contract.
The contract does not deal with compensation, leaving the specifics of each assignment to be arranged on a case-by-case basis, ASMP reports. The society also warns that Condé Nast will have the exclusive rights to first publication of every image made during an assignment, including seconds, similars, outtakes and so on. For images that the magazine does publish, there are two levels of embargo: Images used in cover stories cannot be used or licensed for one year, while other published images may not be used for 90 days after the on-sale date.
Condé Nast's publications in the United States include Architectural Digest, Bon Appétit, Bride's, Glamour, Golf Digest, GQ, House & Garden, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Vogue and Wired.More information is available at asmp.org.