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Photo contest with bad rules


4 years 8 months ago #653103 by Sharna Lee
We have a weekly photography meetup up group and every so often will have a guest come in and speak.  This weeks guest was a local business owner who pitched the idea of his company sponsoring a photo contest.  First prize winner will get $125 and second place will get $35 and thirds will get announced on their Facebook page (which has 1137 fans).  Now here is where they started losing a few of us.  They stated that the winners would transfer all rights and usage of the winning photos to his company.   That these photos could then be used however his company wanted too. 

I've proposed we pass on this offer, as to me at least, it sounds to one sided.  And it isn't the photographers side.  Do you agree?

We are supposed to meet Friday night to discuss this.  Surprisingly there are a few in the meeting who didn't have any problems with it.  Well these photographers I know for a fact are semi new to the industry.  

How do you  feel about this?
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4 years 8 months ago #653104 by fmw
He wants to buy some images.  Do you want to sell?  If not, don't enter the contest.
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4 years 8 months ago #653106 by Sharna Lee

fmw wrote: He wants to buy some images.  Do you want to sell?  If not, don't enter the contest.


I get that.  But you missed the point of my post.  We have a vote coming on Friday and I'm going to speaking about how this contest proposal sounds unethical.  
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4 years 8 months ago #653107 by garyrhook

Sharna Lee wrote:

fmw wrote: He wants to buy some images.  Do you want to sell?  If not, don't enter the contest.


I get that.  But you missed the point of my post.  We have a vote coming on Friday and I'm going to speaking about how this contest proposal sounds unethical.  


What you see as unethical others see as reasonable.

If you want to launch a crusade about copyright and images, then you'll want to be very clear about the value of that which this owner wants to be given away, free of charge. At least the expectation is that only the winners will have to surrender their rights.

One wonders what value the images will have to the sponsor? Why are they choosing to do this, and how do they benefit? Without more details it's difficult to discern possibilities.

People new to photography, especially the business side of it, don't usually understand the value if IP and have to be educated.

I don't surrender the rights to my images, ever. I'll sell them, sure.
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4 years 8 months ago #653117 by Troponin

fmw wrote: He wants to buy some images.  Do you want to sell?  If not, don't enter the contest.


This is a great perspective, and one I had not thought of. 
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4 years 8 months ago #653118 by Ozzie_Traveller
G'day Sharna Lee

Regrettably we in this community are seeing this more and more as businesses and media companies ask / demand / cajole images from the public for their own use for little or zero payment to the photographer.

Aussie media companies are following the overseas trends here ... they ask readers/viewers to send "full resolution" images to them for printing or display purposes, with the comment 'you will retain copyright and when used your images will be credited to you, but the image will become available for use across our organisation and associated entities' - with no expiry date offered.

As fmw & Gary mention above - it's your call ... do you want a few dollars for an image, or do you value your images and your personal integrity ~ ie: if you were contracted to supply paid images vs this mob simply seeking images by stealth

Personally - I do not engage with such businesses or media who request 'freebies'

Hope this helps
Phil from the great land Downunder
www.flickr.com/photos/ozzie_traveller/sets/
Phil from the great land Downunder
www.flickr.com/photos/ozzie_traveller/sets/
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4 years 8 months ago #653123 by Nikon Shooter

Ozzie_Traveller wrote: Personally - I do not engage with such businesses or media who request 'freebies'


:agree:
Light is free… capturing it is not!
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4 years 8 months ago #653124 by Sharna Lee
Exactly, seems kind of shady to me
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4 years 8 months ago #653231 by fmw

Ozzie_Traveller wrote:
Personally - I do not engage with such businesses or media who request 'freebies'


It isn't a freebie.  He is paying for the images with the cash awards.  It may not be enough.  It should not include the people who don't win a cash award.  Negotiate something suitable for everyone.  You act like the business is engaging in theft.  It isn't.  I has made a offer.  You can accept the offer, reject it or negotiate the details.  No need to be defensive about it.
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4 years 8 months ago #653253 by MYoung
Sounds like they are trying to get some cheap photos.  

Pass. 
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4 years 8 months ago #653273 by Ian Stone
Yeah that doesn't look like a good deal for your group.  Put me down for a pass.  
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4 years 8 months ago #653365 by Ira Weber
Creepy way to get access to images.  Just my 3 cents.  
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4 years 8 months ago #653369 by Troponin
Just have three people enter the contest. Problem solved. :)
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4 years 8 months ago #653371 by garyrhook

Troponin wrote: Just have three people enter the contest. Problem solved. :)


+1

I knew I liked you. :-D
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4 years 8 months ago #653396 by icepics
The usage being requested for the contest is inappropriate, especially asking participants to give up rights to their own photos, but I don't know if a local business owner would know that. It comes across like wanting unlimited usage for marketing etc. for only $200. That's waaay below commercial (business) pricing. Not sure this was the best choice of a speaker for a group of photographers.

Try pro photographers organizations like asmp.org or PPA for info. that will support your suggestion for the meetup group to pass on this.

I suppose if people individually want to do it on their own that's up to them. Seems to be a disadvantage of informal meetups compared to a club if people attend who are newer to photography and don't know much about usage of their photos, so this might be a good opportunity to help them get better informed.
Sharon
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