<i>when I am contacted about commercial use I am HIGHLY permissive and allow 98% of businesses to use my photos for free.</i><p>Mind if I ask why?<p>If you allow business to use your photos "for free"  isn't that essentially the same thing as giving away a valuable, duplicable product that a company can technically classify as "inventory" for free?<p>Copyright issues are tough, but the more the Digital Age moves us toward the realm where artistic and creative types should be and actually _get_ compensated for their work, the more the intangible creative value is worth.