Update: Photo Mechanic adds Licensor fields

Licensors dialog in Photo Mechanic
Clicking the Licensors button opens this pop-up dialog. In it, you can add Licensor Name and Licensor URL, both used by Google Licensable. I added my phone number, too.

The entire Licensors structure is now available in Photo Mechanic; Google Licensable will expose two of the fields

Photo Mechanic has released support for the PLUS Licensor metadata fields that will be exposed in the new Google Licensable feature. You’ll find it in Photo Mechanic 6, Build 4538, and later. (The fields have been in the PM+ beta for a while.) The entire Licensor structure is supported, some twelve fields, with the ability to list all that information for multiple licensors. 

Licensors writes to PLUS (Picture Licensing Universal System) XMP fields, part of the IPTC Extended schema. 

In the interface, you’ll see the label “Licensors” and a button with three dots. Click the button and a pop-up dialog appears with all the new fields.

Licensors button in Photo Mechanic UI
This button opens the Licensors dialog.

Fill in the fields according to your taste. Google will expose the Licensor Name and the Licensor URL. I chose to add my business phone number, as well. If somebody wants to talk to me about a picture, I want to make it as easy as possible. All the normal contact fields are available, along with one for your PLUS ID, if you have one.

If you don’t see the button in your IPTC Editor or Template Editor (formerly Stationery Pad), you’ll need to go the preferences for those dialogs and turn on Licensors. This is likely the case of you have customized your metadata dialogs. I have, so I had to turn on the new gizmo.

How-To

Go to Preferences> Acccessibility>Customize and choose a button for “Metadata (IPTC) Info”, or “Metadata (IPTC) Template”. The appropriate configuration dialog will open.

I found Licensors waiting at the bottom of the list of fields. 

Licensors in prefs
I found Licensors at the bottom of my IPTC Editor prefs. Turn it on and drag it where you want it in the dialog.

Tick to turn on “Enabled” and “Visible”. 

Drag Licensors to wherever you want it. I put it in with some other PLUS fields.

Licensors placed in dialog
I put Licensors next to some other PLUS fields in both my IPTC Editor and Template Editor. Remember to make Snapshots and to add the new fields to your templates.

Remember to make a new Snapshot.

Make sure to fill in the fields in your templates.

And you’re good to go.

Update on Google Licensable

Apparently, the COVID-19 crisis has affected both Google and the photo licensing agencies involved in the beta of Licensable. The latest word is that Google now intends to make the feature live “in summer”. Hopefully, the crisis won’t worsen and we’ll start seeing Licensable badges in a few months.

 

Be on the lookout. When you spot the first Licensable badge, jump in the comments and let us all know. In the meantime, stay safe out there!

 

 

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by Carl Seibert

The principal of Carl Seibert Solutions and the owner of this site, Carl Seibert has become a metadata crusader. From clients who need to bring order to their assets collections, to website owners, to Creative Commons activists, the digital world needs to take advantage of better metadata. Carl has made it a mission to spread the [meta]word.

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