SAA Photo Metadata Project
©Karen Desjardin
Metadata Manifesto
Read the Manifesto here or Download the PDF
A Metadata Manifesto
A proposal from the Stock Artists Alliance
for the adoption of guiding principles, standards and technology
to promote image metadata use.
Version 1.0 / July 2006
Photographers, illustrators, publishers, advertisers, designers, art directors, picture editors, librarians and curators all share this same problem: struggling to track rapidly expanding collections of image assets.
In a world of desktops increasingly crowded with digital files, old methodology persists. Folders of digital images are "filed" while information about the images -- creator, caption and rights data -- often is available only from a separate database, notebook, or CD jacket.
The only link between the image and this data is a file name and where that file is stored. Unfortunately, this link is easily severed when file names get altered, files get relocated, copies are made and disseminated. Meanwhile, image information gets left behind.
Without effective systems in place for identifying and managing digital assets, everyone working with digital images is adversely affected. Resources are wasted, opportunities are lost, liability increases and intellectual property rights are eroded.
The volume of digital files challenges publishers who need to manage and access them. Busy designers and art directors download preview images to their desktops, only to find weeks or months later they cannot identify the source. Librarians and curators -- charged with making more cultural resources available to the public -- are already overburdened managing their legacy analog material. Now, they must cope with rapidly expanding digital assets as well.
Lack of information about an image file can delay projects, necessitating additional research to establish licensing rights, obtain clearances, and confirm caption details. This in turn has contributed to the growing problem of misuse of images, whether through error or by intent. Without proper licensing or permissions, users infringe copyright and expose themselves to liability.
The pressures on image creators-as copyright holders-to protect their intellectual property has intensified since the digitalization and online distribution of their images. If their images cannot be properly identified, they suffer from lost revenues due to missed licensing opportunities. Add to this the challenge posed by proposed changes in U.S. Copyright Law. If "orphan works" legislation passes as drafted, it would permit use of their images without a license in the event the owner cannot be located.
Industry wide adoption of metadata is the key to addressing these challenges. Yet today, it is underused and under-supported. What's missing is an adherence to standards and technology solutions that support metadata use and preservation.
Image creators need to commit to embedding metadata as they move rapidly to an all-digital workflow. Those at the forefront have recognized the value of metadata to better protect their intellectual property. A recent Stock Artists Alliance member survey of nearly 400 active stock photographers found that a majority currently embed metadata in their image files. 9 in 10 include a copyright notice, 8 in 10 include creator contact information, and 7 in 10 include a unique image identifier, title, caption and keywords.
SAA Photo Metadata Project
If you create, distribute or use digital images,
you NEED metadata.
In partnership by the U.S. Library of Congress,
SAA has been investigating current stock industry metadata practices and urging an industry wide commitment to the use and preservation of standardized metadata.
Everyone involved with digital images shares the challenge of tracking and managing their rapidly expanding collections. Images need embedded information about their ownership and content to facilitate use and protect them from misuse. This is now urgent given what we know about the high degree of infringements on the internet and the expected passage of 'orphan works' legislation.
Embedding metadata in our image files – and preserving it – is the key to addressing these challenges, but it is under-used and under-supported. What can be done about it?
In 2006, SAA published our Metadata Manifesto as a call to action that the stock industry – and indeed everyone who creates, distributes and uses digital imagery – urgently needs to commit to using embedded metadata to help protect and promote licensed use our images.
In 2007, SAA was awarded a Partnership from the U.S. Library of Congress to support and expand our efforts.
In 2008, SAA launched a MetaSurvey and we are preparing to share the findings.
About our Metadata Manifesto
This proposal calls for the industry wide adoption of guiding principles, standards and technology to promote image metadata use. In short, our “Manifesto” is three guiding principles:
- Metadata is essential to identify and track digital images.
- Ownership metadata must never be removed.
- Metadata must be written in formats that are understood by all.
Now, we need to take these guiding principles and put them into practice. This starts with industry wide commitment to use metadata. We then need to embrace metadata standards and best practices that have a consistent world-view approach. Finally, we need technology that makes it easy to embed metadata, preserve it, and facilitate tracking and rights management. SAA’s “Manifesto” concludes with a list of specific action steps forcreators, distributors and end users. Read the Manifesto
About the Library of Congress Award
Acknowledging SAA's leadership in promoting metadata use, the U.S. Library of Congress has awarded SAA a partnership with the Preserving Creative America initiative. SAA is tasked with developing a program of metadata education, with online resources and a multi-city seminar series. … more
About the SAA MetaSurvey
Do stock images have embedded metadata? SAA is conducting a MetaSurvey to find out. Preliminary findings confirm what SAA has long suspected: Too many images in the licensing market lack key identifying and content information. … more
White Paper Reports
Read SAA's investigative white paper reports.
Infringements of Stock Images
and Lost Revenues
This 2007 white paper report addresses one of the stock industry’s most serious issues. It reports on findings of the landmark investigative study conducted by SAA using PicScout’s advanced visual-search technology to track 20,000 images from the leading stock distributors. It uncovered a high rate of misuse. This report presents detailed results and offers insights into the critical issue of infringements of digital images. It summarizes what is being done now, and it provides action steps for photographers and stock distributors to take.
Read the Report
Straight Talk
on Stock Licensing Models
Adapted from the orginal SAA White Paper: Understanding Stock Licensing Models, and published in 2005, this report explains the fundamental differences between Rights Managed and Royalty Free licensing models. While industry dynamics have continued to evolve, and new variations of these licensing models have been introduced since then, the points made are still relevant today.
Read the Report
A Metadata Manifesto
While the digital age provides conveniences and automation, it increases substantially the risk of losing tracking information. SAA’s 2006 “Metadata Manifesto” presents a set of principles for the use and preservation of embedded image metadata. It urges the industry to put them into practice, offering specific action steps.
Read the Manifesto
