Reprint Policy

SCMP’s valuable collection of some four million photographs draws great demand from the public. To facilitate the use of the photographs, we have made almost half a million images available online. New photographs are added daily. Simply register at the website below for viewing and selection:

http://photo.scmp.com

To assist users, our Content Resources Department provides a one-stop copyright clearance service from archive research to licensing and reprinting. Please contact us at any time with your requests.

SCMP Users may download SCMP Material for private study and reference. However, no reproduction, uploading, publishing, archiving or copying in any other manner of any SCMP Material including without limitation to photos, articles and graphics for commercial use or for purposes other than private study or reference is allowed without prior written licence granted by South China Morning Post Publishers Limited.

Please note that we shall only grant licence over SCMP-copyrighted materials and materials over which we are authorised by respective copyright owners to grant licence. Granting any licences and calculating amount of license fees shall be decided at our sole discretion after taking into account relevant circumstances of requests including the purpose of use and the nature of Material.

Before granting a license or any permission, we will first check:

• whether SCMP holds the copyright of the material concerned
• whether its use would harm the interests of SCMP or other parties
• any legal, ethical or social concerns that might arise

Then, we look at other factors such as the intended use, print run, target readers and duration of use to determine whether a licence fee is applicable and, if so, the amount.

How Licence Fees Are Determined
We refer to prevailing market rates and other factors including the uniqueness of the content, the administrative and material costs involved, the scope of use and other details such as:

• The nature of your business, e.g. commercial firm, government, charity, etc.
• The quantity of material, e.g. the number of photographs required
• The use of material, e.g. marketing collateral, website postings, exhibitions, etc.
• The number of people using the material
• Where the material will be distributed
• How long the material will be used

For example, for the same use of material, different licence fees might apply to a charity compared to a business.

To learn more about the applicable fees, please provide the following information and our content licensing representative will contact you for more details.

Why must I seek approval before I use someone’s articles or photographs?
You may be subject to civil or criminal liabilities if you use copyrighted works without permission. Seeking the consent of the creator or copyright owner is the best way to protect yourself.

Does SCMP own the copyright of all the articles and photographs it publishes?
No. Many photographs and articles we publish come from other sources or copyright owners such as wire agencies and freelancers.

Does SCMP approve all reprint requests?
We consider every request case by case. We may decline your request if we do not own the copyright of the material concerned, or if you plan to use it in a way that might harm the interests of SCMP or other parties.

Upon your acceptance of the applicable fees, a license agreement will be prepared to cover the terms and scope of the license.

General terms and conditions

All users and licensees are deemed to have read and agreed the following terms and conditions:

1. The Requested Content shall only be used for the purpose specified in this License.
2. This License is non-exclusive, non-assignable and non-transferrable.
3. The License Fee paid by you is non-refundable under any circumstances and shall be payable in full without any set-off or deduction regardless of whether you proceed to republish the Requested Content.
4. Due copyright acknowledgment should be given to “South China Morning Post” whenever the Requested Content is used, reproduced, displayed or published.
5. You shall not modify, alter or edit the Requested Content in any way or manner without our written approval.
6. You shall at your sole costs and expense to obtain the consent or license from the copyright owner of third party’s material as contained in the Requested Content for such use other than the purpose permitted hereunder.
7. You shall remove and delete the Requested Content displayed, stored, archived, kept, cached, used, published or in any manner made accessible in the website, computer system, network, server or database either in electronic or digital format upon first publication of the Requested Content except when it is part of, and not separate from, the total archival files or the Licensee’s Publication.
8. You hereby acknowledge and agree that South China Morning Post Publishers Limited and its affiliates are the sole and exclusive worldwide proprietor of all rights, title and interest in the Requested Content including but not limited to copyright and other intellectual property rights which you do not challenge, object or in any manner contest.
9. We may terminate this License immediately upon notice if you become insolvent, file or being filed a petition of liquidation, make an assignment for the benefit of your creditors, merge or consolidate with any entity, or breach any of the terms as outlined herein in any respect, which breach is not remedied within seven (7) days following written notice to you.
10. You shall not assign, transfer or sub-license the Requested Content.
11. You will keep South China Morning Post Publishers Limited, its affiliates and their directors, employees, servants and agents fully indemnified against any and all judgment, loss, damage, liability, cost or expense (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or resulting from any breach of the terms herein and in the license granted
12. We may terminate this License without cause by giving you thirty (30) days' prior written notice.
13. Upon expiration or termination, this License and rights granted hereunder shall cease. Nothing in this Clause 13 shall affect the parties’ rights or remedy available to such party whether pursuant to this License, in law or at equity.
14. This License set out the entire agreement and supersedes all previous written and verbal agreements, negotiations and discussions between the parties.
15. This License shall be governed by and construed in accordance with Hong Kong law. The parties hereby submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of Hong Kong courts.