About Us

Welcome to the expanded  website of the Association of Commercial Stock Image Licensors (ACSIL). Formed in 2003, ACSIL's first six years have been focused mainly on developing a professional network for its stock footage members. We have successfully sponsored multiple stock footage based initiatives in a number of fields; research into the global market for stock footage, formed a long term Code of practice committee that has developed core licensing and new media language and we have worked successfully to sponsor events, provide panels and develop industry seminars as well as negotiate benefits for our members. However it has always been a two way street: we service the production community and our members have always been the leaders in providing high quality images and unique deep content in a broadening and widening world of demand for moving footage. Much of what our members provide on a daily basis is information, direction and guidelines. Stock footage use can seem to be a complex and frustrating place to become lost in, so inevitably ACSIL's role has also shifted in an effort to provide a reliable source of essential resources for all producers and researchers who use stock footage or would like to but don't know where to begin.

So we have expanded the role of ACSIL to create an intersection between the production community and content owners. This site has been designed to provide a reservoir of all things stock footage, from where to start with our basic "What is..."  guides. Here you will find all you need to know and understand about copyright, research, clearances, licensing and what is Fair Use (and what is not). What is the real difference between Royalty Free and Rights Managed? and why the cost differences?

Look under our Resources Tab for the essential rough guides to understanding media and technology, read the copyright laws, upcoming as well as common misunderstandings and easy Stock Footage 101, 201 tools, focused on the Producer, Researcher and novice stock footage students. Can't what you need to know? Send an email.

The resource will grow and we want you to send your suggestions. We promise to listen. If you can't find an answer now, send an email and we'll get the answer or set up a guide. Eventually it will be the easiest website to use with a unique mission: to provide free reliable information on researching, finding and using stock footage. By the way, over the coming months, meet some of the faces you don't recognize but whose name you do, the experts, those with opinions that we value in inderstanding where the future of moving images lies.

The Association of Commercial Stock Image Licensors (ACSIL) is a non-profit association dedicated to promoting and advancing the professional interests of the stock footage industry. ACSIL's mission is "To act as a trade association to improve business conditions and further common business interests of its members domestically and internationally; to act as a representative organization for its members to promote and advance the mutual interest of its members engaged in the stock footage business and, to associate its members together in such fashion that their united efforts in fostering the interest of the stock footage business will result in improvements inuring to their common good; to expand the market demand for stock footage; to devise means of securing, classifying, and disseminating among its members trade, technological, and other important information in the conduct of their stock footage business; to foster the exchange of ideas among its members; to hold meetings and provide discussion panels on various aspects of the stock footage business; and to have its members cooperate with each other for the general welfare of one another."