How should I set up my shopping cart? What image formats too? + other ?'s

Hello everyone;

I am building my Mustang parts website right now and I am offering motorsports pictures on it as well (www.CrainRacing.com .) Those are my only TWO niche markets, my original plan was to try to become like SummitRacing though with gas prices I can not see myself becoming that any longer.

I am not really sure how I should set up the cart and what image sizes and quality I should offer. I also dont know what image format to offer. I know JPEG is not open source and there is a lot of suing going on with the supposed patent holder.

Should I just offer RAW files? Is at open source? What is the BEST image file to offer?
I know .PNG is open source but how good is it? Being that JPEG is THE internet image file of choice how much would it cost for me to be able to license .jpg / .jpeg files per year?

I also know about sending a CD of thumbnails in to officially copyright my photo's.

Also should I offer all the images at 300dpi even though printers now do great work with prints at 200dpi at 2/3 the cost?

Is there any other advice I can get when offering images for sale on my site? What type of licensing should I offer? Should I offer to sell the copyright for a huge sum too?

Another question I had was about Motorsports releases, car show releases, driver releases, team releases, new product releases like SEMA. Any info on that would be great. I am posting a more detailed question in the Motorsports section.

Thanks everyone

-Eric-

A while back I recall a thread where it was stated that Ford stopped a club from issuing a calendar with their product in it. You should contact Ford if you plan on using the Mustang emblem or any Ford product.

Well the Mustang parts that I am going to sell aren't an issue with Ford as I will have a FRPP account through SummitRacing.

For the photography side, if I take a picture of a 2008 Mustang GT and sell it on my site do I have to purchase the license from Ford?

If I have to purchase a license from each car manufacturer of the cars that I shoot and want to sell wont that get really tedious and expensive?

How do people make a living at this? :P

NeoTokyo wrote in post #5596609
Well the Mustang parts that I am going to sell aren't an issue with Ford as I will have a FRPP account through SummitRacing.

For the photography side, if I take a picture of a 2008 Mustang GT and sell it on my site do I have to purchase the license from Ford?

If I have to purchase a license from each car manufacturer of the cars that I shoot and want to sell wont that get really tedious and expensive?

How do people make a living at this?

:P

If you're making money, Ford will want to also. For example, would you let someone make money off a picture of your home without compensating you?

I think it would be expensive to get a license form each mfg. I would also think that you would have to have a lawyer involved $$$

People may make a living through a high volume of sales.

I guess thats why a lot of movies remove the badges from cars used

Can you say PHOTOSHOP?! lol
btw, is it that simple as to just remove any badging through PS similar to the movies?

NeoTokyo wrote in post #5601835
I guess thats why a lot of movies remove the badges from cars used

Can you say PHOTOSHOP?! lol
btw, is it that simple as to just remove any badging through PS similar to the movies?

I don't know becuase a Mustang is recogonizable even without the bage.

Just getting a professionl legal opinon will cost you.

I'll bet you that the FORD attorneys have deeper pockets than you.

An empty McDonalds bag has deeper pockets than me :P