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Consultancy specialising in content research and reproduction licensing

Our services

Content research

If you have a list of illustrations to source, themes to illustrate with images, whether still or moving, our team of picture researchers is here to provide you with answers.

Our services
Based on your specifications, we develop a project schedule and calculate the necessary time needed for research, in order to propose a budget.
Our research is carried out not only with all collections of still and moving images, but also with a large network of image resources, museums, archives, libraries, institutions, etc, worldwide.
You are provided with image costs at intervals in line with the project schedule.
We submit images selected by our researchers and also alternatives, widening the choice of material.

Identification of sources

‘Sourcing’ refers to researching a source, a place of conservation of a work, which is able to provide a high resolution digital file of the work in question, to enable its reproduction.
‘The work’ refers to either a still image (photography but also all visual arts represented in a still image), or a moving image (a clip, such as an excerpt from a film, either fiction or documentary; from a televised reportage or news clip by a magazine, newspaper or broadcaster, or from video programs broadcast on Youtube), a soundtrack or text.
The research applies to all territories. Our team is fluent in French, English, Spanish, Italian and Russian and if necessary we will use interpretation and intermediary services in embassies and consulates worldwide.
Our Services
  • Identification of the intellectual property of the work.
  • Research into that intellectual property to locate the copyright holder able to provide a suitable image file.
  • Presentation of the project to obtain a high resolution image file in exchange for a fee and reproduction rights agreement, where appropriate.
  • Acquisition and delivery of the high resolution image file, in accordance with conditions agreed by the client.
Should reproduction rights need to be licensed in addition to the acquisition of the image file, our services also cover the obtaining of a license.

Acquisition of reproduction licences - Clearance

The cultural, editorial and advertising sectors regularly reuse preexisting material in their work. These may be in the public domain or may fall under copyright protection, which would compel any user to obtain a license in order to reproduce the work.

Our services
  • Identification of the rights holder of the still or moving image intended for reproduction, as well as those of any works or living people visible within the still or moving image.
  • Contacting said rights holders or their representatives.
  • Presenting the project, providing context as to the reproduction of the still or moving image, and requesting appropriate rights for that reproduction.
  • Definition and negotiation of the licensing conditions, should permission be granted.
  • Drafting of the terms of the licensing agreement by the company’s legal department, should the licensor not provide a license to be signed, and should the client not wish to provide its own legal documentation.

Payment of royalties to obtain high resolution image files.

Large publishing or press organisations, or museums, are often underequipped for the realities of collating image content for an illustrated book, magazine or exhibition. The advance payment required for receipt of high resolution image files is often problematic for editors and picture researchers.

Our Services
  • Negotiation of the conditions for obtaining high resolution image files.
  • Management of the agreement/invoice between the institution and the company, for the reproduction rights requested by our client.
  • Advance payment for the purchase of high resolution image files.
  • Quality control of the high resolution image files obtained (it is not uncommon for us to request a higher resolution file to achieve the best possible results for our client).
  • Delivery of the approved high resolution image file to the client.

Legal advice and assistance

Obtaining a license and achieving related rights clearance, especially in cinema, are bound by law, specifically copyright and trademark law. Clients wishing to obtain a license won’t necessarily have their own legal department able to analyse and interpret the license terms.

We can also assist you with the following:
  • Assigning a lawyer to a licensing or clearance case, for negotiation purposes. In fact, most actors have legal representation, who would usually only communicate with other legal professionals.
  • Directing license proposals to our lawyers, should the client not have their own legal team, thus ensuring absolute clarity regarding the terms of the license.
  • Assigning a lawyer to a licensing case when the copyright holder refuses to define the terms of the license and demands a contract from the future licensee.
  • Seeking expert legal advice from our lawyers in cases of legal proceedings for copyright infringement and build a defence to dismiss any such proceedings.