Assuming this is an 'all-digital' environment, terms such as 'contact print' are no longer very relevant. Here, a 'tirage de lecture' is just a hard copy version of the image file, used maybe for indexing, reviewing picture composition and (depending on the quality) confirming the photographer's intention regarding colour balance, etc.

This is a print taken directly from the negatives without enlargement, for initial checking before enlarging and printing.

"... même en simple tirage de lecture (minimum une cinquantaine d’images). .... even in the form of a simple contact print (some fifty photos at least). ..."
www.visavisworkshop.com/stages-paris.html - 25k


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Note added at 3 hrs (2008-07-11 16:34:54 GMT)
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If this is digital rather than film, then it would be a "reference print".

"Scans - we have a professional film scanner which enables production of top quality scans from medium format or 35mm transparencies or negatives. £17.50 per scan with reference print"

http://www.kingholmes.com/pages/fees.html

"Wigan, Merseyside and Lancashire photo restorer. ... the restored image as a photographic quality reference print and a high resolution image file on CD, ..."
www.iportraits.co.uk/restore.html

i think the issue with copyright is how many copies of the magazine featuring the photographs are going to be print or read, therefore the appropriate royalties.