BLAUBLUT Edition is a photo licensing agency that gathers premium work of renowned photographers in the field of Fashion, Beauty, Lifestyle and Still Life Photography. The BLAUBLUT Edition’s collection is suitable for different sorts of businesses that need good aesthetics: publishing houses, interior design, hotels, cosmetics, hotels or even cruising ships.
As almost every photography agency in the digital, BLAUBLUT has experienced unlicensed usage of their images. To tackle this problem, BLAUBLUT EDITION has been a client of RYDE since 2017 and RYDE has sent post-licensing fee requests on their behalf for over 1.837 cases.
We had a talk with Gudrun Wronski, CEO of BLAUBLUT EDITION, about digitalization, photography, copyright, and infringement. Check out the great insights we had from it:
The digital revolution has changed the game for creatives. How does BLAUBLUT perceive the ongoing growth of digitalization towards the photography industry?
For us, digitalization for photography means a great opportunity. We came from the classic Stock Photography and had to reinvent ourselves in 2008: the value of the individual stock images decreased because through the availability of good digital cameras every gifted amateur could also take good photos and offer them via digital platforms. For us, there were two possibilities – either we would have had to offer our stock images for lower fees and try to license larger quantities of them (which was the way most stock agencies did at the time) or we could build an archive that contained elaborately produced and carefully curated exclusive imagery from excellent photographers. Since all employees loved and love photography, the decision was made quickly. A new beginning had to be made and BLAUBLUT EDITION was born.
When was the first time BLAUBLUT experienced the pictures in its platform being used without permission? How did you deal with it?
Soon enough after we started with the BLAUBLUT EDITION, we had our first non-authorized usages of our pictures. Often they were brought to us by our photographers or we discovered them by chance. It was clear to us that the uses we discovered were only the tip of the iceberg. We followed the unauthorized uses from the beginning.
What according to you leads to illegal usage of your pictures?
I am sure that it is often out of ignorance – the pictures of our photographers are unique, and of course, everyone wants to use nice pictures.
How the relationship between BLAUBLUT and RYDE started?
Even before RYDE existed, we had already worked together with Jan Denecke, that had helped us with our claims for unauthorized usage. For us, to work with RYDE was a logical consequence.
How do you see the future for photographers/agency relationship regarding copyrights?
Not easy. I think that, in times of Instagram, Unsplash and Digital Content, which can be shared anywhere, it will be difficult to maintain copyright in its current form in the future. But I really like new developments and love both Instagram and Unsplash. We watch things and think about new, contemporary concepts (like we did 10 years before with BLAUBLUT) when the ideas are already getting outdated.
Do you think that there is any growth of legal usage or a fall in infringements with Blaublut?
I suspect that in the future, the boundaries between what is legal and what is copyright infringement will shift.
#14AnswersWith Gudrun Wronski
We also took the time to get to know Gudrun a bit better with a quick Q&A that goes from what photography means to her, to her favorite food or her first thought when she thinks of infringement. We asked Ms. Wronski to answer us honestly with what first pops up into her mind.
Gudrun, what comes first to your mind when you think of…
1. Photography
William Eggleston (big Love!!)
2. Architecture
Mies van der Rohe, Minimalism
3. A motto
Simplify.
OR
If you can’t stop thinking about it… do it.
4. A place
If you are with the right person, any place.
5. A food
Definitely: Chocolate.
6. A movie
Rosemary’s Baby
7. A song
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell „Ain’t no mountain high enough“ // Red Hot Chilli Peppers „Road Trippin’ “
8. A book
Donna Tart, “The Goldfinch“.
9. Future
Digital
10. Digital
Future
11. Art
Concept Art: Jan Vormann -> Dispatchwork, On Kawara
12. Fashion
Designer Handbags by Barbara Ségal
13. Perfect Photoshoot
Steven Meisel
14. Infringement
Reward Your Ideas!!