Standard licence question for book- expiry, irregular use

[Andrew27956419xidn]

I make a few books for various purposes - simple print on demand stuff. I'm a writer with no talent for drawing so I need illustrations. So if I purchase a Standard Licence I can download but...

1. Does the licence expire? (I distrust this nonsense term 'assets') If I reprint the book in a couple of years, do I have to repurchase the images (assume that there may be minor changes to the text and Blurb, for instance, treats it as a new book). The implication is that I only have a licence to use, not any form of ownership.

2. I'm unlikely to need even 120 images per year. But some months I might want twenty-five images and the next month - two! Can I roll over unused credits to the following month? 

[Abambo · Accepted solution]

1. Licences do not expire. “Asset” is a term for the item licenced and may be a photo, illustration, video, template or whatever. All is called “asset”.

Items are licensed for a client (you are the client), so, even if you use the same asset for anything else, that fits in with the licensing terms, you are still covered. However, with a standard licence, you would need to buy an extended licence if you want to do a t-shirt or a mug. Or you would need an extended licence, if your print run (digital and paper combined) would exceed the 500k limit.

You should, however, keep all assets locally accessible, as you may not be able to download again, if the contributor or Adobe pulls the asset for any reason.

2. I suppose you're talking of the 10 credits/month subscription. Unused credits roll over from month to month for up to 120 credits (which is a year's allocation). When you cancel, however, you forfeit the unused credits. So, cancelling at 120 credits and sitting on those for licencing during the next year does not work. You can, however, licence “in advance”, and take licences of assets that you likely need. You do not need an active subscription for using the licenced item (in accordance with the licencing terms).

[Andrew27956419xidn]

Thank you. That is excellent.

I understood the embargo on use for items where the ‘art’ is the primary sales component but in my case, illustrations for a book, the illustrations are secondary to the text of course. The idea that I might use an image in several places is welcome as I would want to use one or two for promotional purposes in on-line or other media - such as the one chosen as a cover illustration. I’d forgotten that.

Asset is a strange choice of term - I understand that you need a broad term to cover all stock images or other media intangibles but it’s a little vague! And we’re all used to the concept of ‘licence’ from software but that implies legally that you do not own the item or intangible, only the right to use it in a carefully predefined manner for a period of time. Often ‘licences’ do expire so I’d recommend making that clear.

You are correct that a Standard Licence is all I need at present (500K - I wish!) and given an irregular need, the information about a monthly rollover within the annual 120 limit is good news. I have no intention of dipping in and out of a subscription to save fees though I see your need to protect yourselves from such behaviour. Seems a lot of trouble for not much return! I’m not entirely clear on the ‘in advance’ concept but I’m sure I’ll sort that out if the need arises.

Again, many thanks.

[Abambo · Accepted solution]

First, I'm not Adobe, I'm a user like you. My assumptions above are correct, however. 

You do not own the item, you will have a licence to use and modify the item as you wish in the limits of the licence. The contributor still owns the item (accurately: the copyright :copyright:), but as of their contributor agreement, they allow Adobe to sell licences of the assets and they agree with the terms of the licence.

Advance licencing: you have around 120 credits in your account and at the next iteration, you would not add licences anymore. You could select 10 assets and licence them, without a precise current need. At some later stage, when the available credits drop dangerously low, you could use those assets if they fit your then current need. If you never use them, it won't hurt you, as you would have lost the credits anyway.

If you intend to opt in and out: you also have the option for monthly subscriptions and you may buy credit packs. A subscription does not cover for premium assets. A 10-assets/month does not include video.