It Pays to Read the Fine Print

Rights/ License-grab Photo Contests with overreaching contest mechanics are becoming more rampant nowadays. Which is why photographers should be vigilant.

Please read the fine print before entering a photo contest or submitting images online:

"All entries shall automatically become exclusive property of Gift Gate, Inc. and may be used, copied, reproduced and/or reprinted by Gift Gate, Inc. into any size or medium for exhibition, advertising, promotion or whatever purpose. Contest participant further allows Gift Gate, Inc. to use his/her name and/or image/picture/ likeness without limit in conjunction with his winning entry."
(From "Swatch Chinese New Year Photo Contest" mechanics sent by Nix Taytay through PhotoWorld Manila egroup)

"... you hereby grant Sony Ericsson, its subsidiaries and branch offices the perpetual right to exclusively, royalty-free and without limitation freely use, modify, edit, copy, reproduce, distribute, translate, create derivate works from, alter and publicly display or publish such content, for whatever purposes, in any form or medium, either on this web-site or elsewhere, whether promotional or in other activities or events arranged by Sony Ericsson or any of the above stated parties, whether locally or world-wide."
(From Sony Ericsonn Top Shot Imaging Contest)

"Without affecting any of your ownership rights to the Submission, by submitting your Submission, you grant MSNBC an irrevocable royalty-free, worldwide right, in all media (now known or later developed) to use, publish, alter or otherwise exploit your Submission and to sublicense such rights to a licensee at MSNBC’s discretion."
(From MSNBC.com, mentioned in Carolyn Wright's PhotoAttorney blog)

"All Submissions become the exclusive property of Sponsor, and none will be acknowledged or returned. Sponsor shall have the right to edit, adapt, and publish any or all of the Submissions, and may authorize others (including advertisers) to do so, and may use them in any media for any purpose, including but not limited to editorial, promotional, and advertising purposes, without attribution or compensation to the contestant, his or her successors or assigns, or any other entity. ENTERING A SUBMISSION IN THIS CONTEST CONSTITUTES PARTICIPANT'S IRREVOCABLE PERMISSION AND LICENSE TO THE FOREGOING USAGE, THROUGHOUT THE WORLD."
(From Conde' Nast Traveler's "Live The Cover" contest, mentioned in PDN Pulse)

"By submitting, posting or displaying Content on or through Google services which are intended to be available to the members of the public, you grant Google a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to reproduce, adapt, modify, publish and distribute such Content on Google services for the purpose of displaying, distributing and promoting Google services. Google reserves the right to syndicate Content submitted, posted or displayed by you on or through Google services and use that Content in connection with any service offered by Google."
(From CNet, mentioned in PhotoAttorney blog)

"You grant to National Geographic Society and its subsidiaries and licensees ("NGS") the following rights: a royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual license to display, distribute, reproduce and create derivatives of the Photograph, in whole or in part, without further review or participation from you, in any medium now existing or subsequently developed, in editorial, commercial, promotional and trade uses in connection with NGS Products."
(From NGS, mentioned in PhotoAttorney blog)

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Comments

Anonymous said…
thanks for posting this.

reposted http://goks.multiply.com/journal/item/470

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