Conde Nast/CondeNet Contract: Recitals and Term 1

Commentary and analysis begins:

As of {Month}, {Day}, 2008, {publication} owned by CondéNet Inc. (“Company”) and (“Freelancer”) agree as follows:

Version OL1	Version OL2
1. Scope of Agreement/Services: This agreement will govern each assignment performed by Freelancer for any current or future service owned or operated by Company and all photographs, illustrations, or other visual works or copyrightable material taken at or created as a result of each assignment or otherwise submitted to Company for a service owned or operated by Company or its affiliates (the “Works”). For purposes of this agreement, an “assignment” is a project agreed upon by Company and Freelancer. Company and Freelancer will separately, on a case-by-case basis, arrange the specifics of each assignment or submission, including fee, due date, and subject matter. The fee for any assignment or Work encompasses all the rights granted herein. Reimbursements for expenseswill be negotiated on a per-assignment basis, are subject to approval in writing in advance by Company, and receipts and proper documentation must be provided within one month of expenditure. The results of each assignment must be satisfactory in form and substance to Company, and must be submitted by the agreed due date. Freelancer must provide a selection of photographs, as determined by Company, from each assignment, from which Company may choose what it wishes to publish, and upon request of Company, Freelancer will provide additional (or all) photographs. Freelancer will retain an original or other high-quality copy of all material submitted to Company.	1. Scope of Agreement/Services: This agreement will govern each assignment performed by Freelancer for any current or future service owned or operated by Company and all photographs, illustrations, or other visual works or copyrightable material taken at or created as a result of each assignment or otherwise submitted to Company for a service owned or operated by Company or its affiliates (the “Works”). For purposes of this agreement, an “assignment” is a project agreed upon by Company and Freelancer. Company and Freelancer will separately, on a case-by-case basis, arrange the specifics of each assignment or submission, including fee, due date, and subject matter. The fee for any assignment or Work encompasses all the rights granted herein. Reimbursements for expenses will be negotiated on a per-assignment basis, are subject to approval in writing in advance by Company, and receipts and proper documentation must be provided within one month of expenditure. The results of each assignment must be satisfactory in form and substance to Company, and must be submitted by the agreed due date. Freelancer must provide a selection of photographs, as determined by Company, from each assignment, from which Company may choose what it wishes to publish, and upon request of Company, Freelancer will provide additional (or all) photographs. Freelancer will retain an original or other high-quality copy of all material submitted to Company.
COMMENTS: These two terms are identical. It is of interest to note that the fees in either contract are not defined. Further, this contract would also cover any type of video (often “behind the scenes” video) that some photographers are producing now, and that appear, as below on the CN family of websites, like here, on the Vanity Fair site. It is also worth noting that they refer to expenses as reimbursable. In other words, this seems to imply that you are not entitled to any markup. So, if a lighting kit rental costs you $250, you need to account for your 30 minutes arranging the kit and coordinating it’s pickup with the assistant (or courier company), as well as those costs to pick up and return the lighting, including the assistant’s mileage and charges for their time. Further, they are requiring receipts. There is no tax code regulation that requires Conde Nast to have your receipts. Their receipt is/would be your invoice listing each item. Beware – your supplier base is, and should remain, proprietary. If you know the best assistant/pilot/gear house in off-beat locations, that is of value to you. Sure, it’s one thing to share it with a colleague heading there. However, for Conde Nast to have the receipts gives them supplier names, and that information, properly leveraged, could diminish the value you bring to them in the future. < Also, there is some confusion here. It says you’ll keep “an original or other high-quality copy of all material submitted to Company”, yet, is that material the receipts, images, or both? If it’s images, and you’re shooting film (i.e. Polaroid transfer, 120mm in a Holga, etc) you are then required, as noted here in the contract, to keep copies, which means scanning. Be certain that your invoice includes the cost to scan everything!

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