An old Chinese proverb says that the beginning of wisdom is “using the right terms”. So, to start, let’s define what is meant, in current industry lingo, by the terms “rights managed” (sometimes referred to as “traditional stock”) and “royalty free” (sometimes referred to as “clip photography”).

Rights-Managed Images are “rented” for a specific purpose at a specific price. Once you negotiate a fee with the agency (or photographer) for the specific use you have in mind, any other use is subject to an additional fee.

Royalty-Free Images are purchased outright, either as single images or on disc volumes in bulk, and can be used any way you want, with certain restrictions. (More about that later...)

Seems pretty simple, right? Many people think there is only one difference between “rights managed” stock and “royalty free”: Price. (Indeed, certain royalty-free purveyors would like you to believe that.)

But there's much more to it -- and knowing the “story behind the story” is crucial.

So let's take a deeper look at each of the six fundamental differences between royalty-free images and traditional rights managed ...