This is a legal agreement (“Agreement”) between the Chicago Historical Society (“CHS”), also known as the Chicago History Museum, and the end user (“User” or “you”). By obtaining images from CHS, you agree to the following terms and conditions. If you are accepting this Agreement on behalf of your employer or another third party, then these terms and conditions shall apply to all parties.

(1) Copyright Status of Images

For images that are under copyright and owned by CHS, or images for which CHS is an authorized licensing agent, CHS warrants that it owns the copyright or has been granted permission to sub-license the images. These images may not be used in any manner without the prior express written consent of CHS.

For all other images, unless otherwise noted, the User is responsible for determining the copyright status and obtaining permission from the copyright holder prior to publication. For images designated as having “no known copyright restrictions,” “No Copyright – United States,” or “No Known Copyright,” CHS is not aware of any United States copyright restrictions and the images may be in the public domain. CHS does not prepare licensing agreements for public domain images or any other images to which the CHS does not hold rights. CHS will provide copyright holder information if known, unless divulging that information breaches confidentiality or contract terms.

(2) Rights and Restrictions

For images for which CHS owns the copyright or has been granted permission to sub-license, CHS grants the User a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to reproduce the images identified on the image order solely to the extent explicitly stated on the document. The User acknowledges that this Agreement does not give the right to sell or to grant others to sell the images to a third party.

Defamatory, pornographic, or otherwise unlawful use of the images is strictly prohibited.

CHS reserves the right to decline permission to use its images.

It is strictly prohibited to use images for any purpose in conflict with the Vision, Mission, values, and/ or Code of Ethics of CHS.

It is strictly prohibited to use images to promote harassment, discrimination, violence, or hatred of any kind.

It is strictly prohibited to print images in order to sell to a third party without prior express written consent of CHM.

For images for which CHS owns the copyright or has been granted permission to sub-license, images may not be used in the following ways without the prior express written consent of CHS: logos, trademarks, or service marks; political campaigns; social media websites.

For images for which CHS owns the copyright or has been granted permission to sub-license, if you have obtained permission from CHS to post images to the web or a mobile app, you agree to display the images at a maximum of 150dpi at the original object size and prevent website visitors from downloading the digital file.

(3) Releases and Permissions

Except where the User is specifically notified in writing, CHS grants no rights and makes no warranties with regard to the use of names, people, trademarks, trade dress, registered, unregistered or copyrighted designs, or works of art or architecture depicted in the images. The User shall be solely responsible for determining whether a release is required in connection with any proposed use of the images. You acknowledge that some jurisdictions provide legal protection against a person’s image, likeness or property being used for commercial purposes without their consent.

CHS makes no representations or warranties as to whether or not any additional fees or payments may be due to any model or individual depicted in the licensed material pursuant to the requirements of any applicable trade union and you shall be solely responsible for any such additional fees or payments to such trade union.

(4) Reuse

For images for which CHS owns the copyright or has been granted permission to sub-license, CHS’s express written consent is required before reuse. Reuse is defined as a use not specified on the invoice sent to the end user. An additional fee will apply. For all other images, permission may need to be obtained from a copyright holder before reuse. If the image is in the public domain, perpetual reuse is permitted in accordance with United States copyright law.

(5) Crediting Images

A credit line will accompany all images. The required credit line for each image is found on the itemized Image Order document provided upon completion of your image request.

Credit lines will appear adjacent to the images or within the “Sources” or “Credits” section of the publication, production, or exhibition. For web use, credit lines must include a link or the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for CHS’s website (www.chicagohistory.org).

(6) Other User Obligations

The User agree to deliver to CHS one complimentary copy of any published work in which the images appear no later than three months after the work has been published.

For images for which CHS owns the copyright or has been granted permission to sub-license, images may be cropped or otherwise edited for technical quality, provided that the editorial integrity of the content is not compromised. The user may not otherwise alter the content.

The User agree to retain the metadata embedded in the images.

For images not available for immediate purchase and download from https://images.chicagohistory.org, CHS requires all applicants to submit requests to rightsrepro@chicagohistory.org

(7) Payment

Images will not be made available for downloading until full payment has been received by CHS. All sales are final and no refunds will be granted.

(8) Copyright Ownership

No ownership or copyright in any image shall pass to you by the issuance of this Agreement.

Any use of images for which the copyright is owned by CHS in a manner not expressly authorized by this Agreement or in breach of a term of this Agreement constitutes copyright infringement, entitling CHS to exercise all rights and remedies available to it under United States copyright law. The User shall be responsible for any damages resulting from any such copyright infringement, including any claims by a third party.

(9) Limitation of Liability

You agree to hold CHS harmless from all claims and expenses arising from your use of the images. Under all circumstances, CHS disclaims any and all liability in connection of your use of the images.

(10) Indemnification

When third party releases for the images have not been obtained by CHS, you shall defend, indemnify, and hold CHS and its parent, subsidiaries and commonly owned or controlled affiliates and their respective officers, directors and employees harmless from all damages, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs), arising out of or connected with any actual or threatened lawsuit, claim, or legal proceeding relating to the use of the images by you, to the extent that such claim relates to the absence of a release or your unauthorized use of the images.

(11) Severability

If one or more of the provisions contained in this Agreement is found to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, then the validity, legality, and enforceability of the remaining provisions will not be affected. Such provisions will be revised only to the extent necessary to make them enforceable.

(12) Waiver

No action of CHS, other than express written waiver, may be construed as a waiver of any provision of this Agreement. In the event CHS waives any specific part of this Agreement, it does not mean it waives any other part

(13) Arbitration & Governing Law

Any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement, or the breach thereof, shall be settled by the arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association under its Commercial Arbitration Rules. The number of arbitrators shall be one. The place of arbitration shall be Cook County, Illinois. Judgment on the award rendered by the arbitrator may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof. Illinois law shall govern all matters arising under or relating to this Agreement.

(Last updated January 2022)