wxnut
TPF Noob!
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2004
- Messages
- 594
- Reaction score
- 7
- Location
- Wisconsin
- Website
- www.dougraflikphotography.com
So I get an e-mail from a professor at Penn State University asking for permission to use this picture...
as part of an online mesoscale meteorology course. He stresses in his email its for educational purposes. I reply, even though its for educational purposes, students are still PAYING to take the course. Its a semester class with 15 students per semester. Course fee is $104 plus $150 material fee. (What kind of materials do you need for an online course?) I told him I wanted a $125 one time fee, and that would give him use for only this course for as long as he wished. He replied
"I hardly think of educating online adult students as a commercial venture. Penn State's World Campus loses money every year, but we offer these courses to educate students who otherwise would not have the opportunity to seek in-residence instruction. Thankfully, not all photographers and chasers feel as you do. I will seek another photograph."
What do you all think of this situation? Should I have given him the use for the picture with my only compensation being credit for my picture and a link to my web site, 30 students per year? Or was I right in asking for money, even though its for teaching.
I have given permission for non profit groups such as Skywarn groups, and National Weather Service to use this picture in skywarn classes for no fee. That is a given. But for a college who is going to charge people to look at my pictures?
I am interested in what you think?
Thanks,
Doug Raflik

as part of an online mesoscale meteorology course. He stresses in his email its for educational purposes. I reply, even though its for educational purposes, students are still PAYING to take the course. Its a semester class with 15 students per semester. Course fee is $104 plus $150 material fee. (What kind of materials do you need for an online course?) I told him I wanted a $125 one time fee, and that would give him use for only this course for as long as he wished. He replied
"I hardly think of educating online adult students as a commercial venture. Penn State's World Campus loses money every year, but we offer these courses to educate students who otherwise would not have the opportunity to seek in-residence instruction. Thankfully, not all photographers and chasers feel as you do. I will seek another photograph."
What do you all think of this situation? Should I have given him the use for the picture with my only compensation being credit for my picture and a link to my web site, 30 students per year? Or was I right in asking for money, even though its for teaching.
I have given permission for non profit groups such as Skywarn groups, and National Weather Service to use this picture in skywarn classes for no fee. That is a given. But for a college who is going to charge people to look at my pictures?
I am interested in what you think?
Thanks,
Doug Raflik