Copyright/Usage Help for first sale

[sarahr2810]

I'm a long time lurker in the forums, however I have something I need a little help with and I'm sure there must be a few people using the forum that may be able to help me out. Photography is a hobby for me so this is something I haven't yet come across.

I've been approached my a website design company who want to use one of my images for their clients website. They offered me £30 for usage rights for this image on their clients website for an unlimited period.

I'm new to the whole image rights thing and wondered if anyone here could give me some guidance.

Is this a fair deal they are offering?

What exactly do they mean by 'usage rights'?

They require an invoice from me before any money changes hands and I want to specify on the invoice exactly what they can do with the image.

I hope I've posted in the correct place.

Thanks to anyone who can help me!

[andyw]

Usage rights are exactly what it says basically.

It is giving the client the "right" to use your image in a specific way for a specific purpose and time.
Often called a usage license.

In this case you would be giving them the NON-exclusive (so that you are free to use or sell elsewhere) use of the image on a single web site for xx period.

Without a written agreement/license then you risk the client using it for all sorts of things so always best to have it in writing.
It gives you a legal standing should they then go and use it for a national ad campaign or the like.

£30 for unlimited time is not a great amount but that is for you to decide,
Here is a stock calculator to help you Stock Photo Price Calculator

There are examples on the www (google usage license or the like).

[Biomech]

Maybe lease the image at a yearly rate?

[NathanFranke]

Use the stock price calculator that Andy posted, but don't price yourself out of a client. They want a digital file--it's costing you absolutely nothing to provide the end product for them. Just because the calculator says that you should be charging $1,256.46 for unlimited, non-exclusive rights to the image doesn't mean that they'll pay for that. If you're happy with £30 and they're happy with £30, then it's a double thank-you moment, and you both win. If you overprice, then you end up with nothing.