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What is CoStar Photo Express?
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CoStar Photo Express is a new service that lets CoStar Property Professional subscribers select a photo from CoStar’s extensive library of commercial property photos, and post it onto as many as three online listing services for a 12-month period. |
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Why CoStar Photo Express?
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The terms and conditions agreed to by all CoStar customers do not allow for the posting of a CoStar photo to an online listing service. However, since we know our customers need to market their properties in many venues and in many ways – including online listing services, CoStar Photo Express provides a legitimate way to do so. |
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Does this mean that CoStar subscribers (whether to CoStar Property Professional or otherwise) now need to make extra payments to CoStar to use the photos that they have access to?
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Absolutely not! If you’re an existing CoStar customer, nothing about your user agreement has changed. You can still use CoStar photos as you always have – for example in printed brochures, emails to potential or existing clients, or research reports. CoStar Photo Express simply gives you an added advantage, if you need it. CoStar Photo Express allows what cannot be done under the other CoStar agreements --- using CoStar photos to market a property on an Internet listing service. |
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Other than through CoStar Photo Express, why doesn’t CoStar allow the posting of CoStar photos to online listing services?
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While CoStar has always permitted customers to use its photos in dozens of ways, our license terms and conditions never allowed the posting of our photos on Internet listing services.
And the reasons are simple: Imagine if you did all the work in putting a deal together and at the last minute someone else got the commission. Would that be right or fair?
CoStar’s hardworking photographers shot these high quality photographs to benefit the CoStar customer, not a listing service or user of a listing service.
If we let all the valuable, high-quality CoStar photos be posted to Internet listing services for free, it would jeopardize the photos you rely upon and would cause the price of a regular CoStar subscription to skyrocket.
Instead, CoStar Photo Express is a balanced approach developed for your needs --- it allows you to pay for only the photos you need and it enables us to protect the photos you rely upon by providing us with the information to track where the CoStar photos are being posted. |
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Who Can Use CoStar Photo Express?
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CoStar Photo Express is available to all authorized Costar Property Professional® subscribers. |
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How much does CoStar Photo Express cost?
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For a fee of $360, you can post a photo onto three different online listing services for a 12-month period. |
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What is an online listing service?
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An online listing service distributes information in a bulletin board-like format. Users of the listing service post information and photos to market properties to other users of the listing service and their clients. |
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How does CoStar Photo Expess work?
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CoStar Photo Express is easy to use. Simply click an icon on the CoStar home page, complete the CoStar Photo Express order form, and fax it to CoStar’s Customer Service. There’s no software to install and no hardware to buy. |
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How do I receive my photo?
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After submitting your request to CoStar, you will receive an email with an 800 x 600 pixel image attachment. Each Costar Photo Express photo is distinguished by a special CoStar Photo Express watermark. |
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How long can I use the photos that I receive through CoStar Photo Express?
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Requested photos can be used up to one year from the date that they’re emailed to you by CoStar. |
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How do I post a CoStar Photo Express photo to more than three Internet listing services?
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Just sign up again! Purchasing a second license agreement for an added $360 will allow a photo to be posted to three additional online listing services for 12 months, from the date that the photo is sent from CoStar to the user. |
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What happens if I post a CoStar photo on an Internet listing service without licensing it through CoStar Photo Express?
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Posting a CoStar photo on an Internet listing service without licensing it through CoStar Photo Express amounts to copyright infringement and a breach of your CoStar license. It also disadvantages users of the listing service and their clients, who each become copyright infringers when they reproduce, distribute and display the unauthorized photo. |
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Why is CoStar trying to create this distinction and charge more?
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CoStar is not charging a penny more for any of the things you have always been allowed to do through CoStar Property Professional -- things like using CoStar photos in marketing materials prepared for clients, or in brochures used to market a property. That stays the same. This new service, CoStar Photo Express, simply provides a legitimate avenue for CoStar photos to be posted on Internet listing services. |
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Will you offer package discounts if I want to order and post several photos?
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We do not have plans to offer volume discounts at this time. |
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Can I remove the CoStar Photo Express logo from a photo?
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No. The only photos from CoStar that you can post to an online listing service are those photos that you receive through the CoStar Photo Express service, which will bear the words “CoStar Photo Express” on the bottom of the photo. That notice is essential to distinguish the photo as an authorized posting. Any removal of the notice is prohibited. |
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Can my company be billed for Photo Express?
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Not at this time. Payment is by credit card only. Whether your company will reimburse you is a matter between you and your company. |
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Is there any relationship between you and any of the listing services that I select?
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No. We’re simply granting those that use CoStar Photo Express the right to display CoStar photos on an online listing service to market properties. There is no affiliation, endorsement or sponsorship of the CoStar Photo Express service by any listing service. Each listing service may have its own terms and conditions governing user conduct, and you must have your own lawful access to such listing service. |
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If I have my own photograph and I give it to CoStar to include within its services, does that mean I lose my ownership rights?
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No. Absolutely not. Someone who provides content to CoStar retains any ownership rights that they may have in the content. They do not transfer ownership of a photograph or other information when they submit it to CoStar’s research professionals. So, they can continue to use or distribute such information or imagery as they see fit. |
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Do the photographs licensed through CoStar Photo Express include photos that were given to CoStar by third parties?
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The CoStar Photo Express service has been designed to include just those photos shot by CoStar's photographers. |
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