Sport Diver Seahorse photo competition boondoggle

Here again is another boondogle on the photographer's photo ownership rights. Sport Diver is hosting a photo competition for seahorses, and yet they strip every entrant of all rights to compensation, other than a prize...and if you are not a winner, big deal, they have the right to use your photograph anyway.

check out: http://www.sportdiver.com/seahorse_rules.pdf

Look specifically at rule 7.2

Those of you with seahorse pictures beware. Always read the rules. What these rules mean is that regardless of whether you win or not, there is an indefinite period for which your pictures can be used, and practically an unlimited ways they can use them. Making money in this art is hard enough without giving away your hard earned work for free. Consider the cost of your equipment, repairs, money spent on trips and time. It's up to you, but entering these kind of competitions cheapens the industry and gives organizers a free reign of your work, and a practically unlimited source of seahorse pictures.

Just my opinion but worth bringing it to your attention.

Joe

Here is a cut and paste of the important parts:

7.2. The primary objective of the Photo Competition ”Seahorses of the World” is the acquisition of high-quality photographs of seahorses in their natural habitat, photographs that Organizers can use for both their educational outreach efforts and for scientific study. Therefore, entrants grant the Organizers the full and royalty-free right to print, publish and use worldwide in whatever format all submitted photographs over an undefined period of time. Entrants also agree that their submitted photographs can be reproduced royalty-free by Organizers over an undefined period of time for commercial reasons in PR related documents, packaging, folders, catalogues and similar objects. In all these cases however, the name of the entrant will always be mentioned and reference will be made to the photo competition “Seahorses of the World”. Organizers commit themselves to communicate as many as possible of these actions to the entrant involved. 7.3. Entrants equally grant a royalty-free permission to Sport Diver and World Publications to publish or print submitted photographs in the Sport Diver Magazine, on the website www.sportdiver.com or in its electronic newsletter, in a period of 24 months after the closing date of the competition. In all these cases however, the name of the entrant will always be mentioned and reference to the competition “Seahorses of the World” and its Organizers will be made. 7.4. The submitted photographs will for example be used on a poster, named “Seahorses of the World’. It will serve educational needs and will be used in international mailings. Entrants from whom a photograph is used on the poster, will receive a free copy. No timing though is set on this project.

As project Seahorse is a not-for-profit research and educational entity and they state in the VERY FIRST sentence of the copyright section: "The primary objective of the Photo Competition ”Seahorses of the World” is the acquisition of high-quality photographs of seahorses in their natural habitat, photographs that Organizers can use for both their educational outreach efforts and for scientific study."

That's clearly non-commercial use and I think it's GREAT if people are willing to submit photos.

But Section 7.3 is different - that's commercial use by Sport Diver magazine, and is "not cool" in my opinion.

Cheers

James

So one poor entity must support another poor entity? Seems moot. Maybe they should ask for pics from rich, successful photographers like Doubelet and Newbert:)>.

This is a hard sell, but I will admit that I do give my work to schools for free and I give student interviews, AND fill out lengthy questionaires from them.

Hypocrite (sp) I guess.

Joe

No, Joe, I think you spelled hypocrite very nicely.

Yeah, I think the point here is that the publication gains rights to the images and they are commercial. It would be nice to have confidence that images you donated would go for non-profit use but the magazine wants, at minimum, to advertise what it's doing.

People need to decide if this sort of arrangement is OK with them and its perfectly reasonable to call attention to it. Section 7.3 concerns me regardless of 7.2. Thanks Joe and James.

Do the Project Seahorse executives/employes work for free?

I think Amanda Vincent - one of the well known project seahorse researchers works for free. She is funded through the University.

Cheers

James

Project Seahorse has been instrumental in promoting conservation and awareness regarding the seahorse industry around the world. Much of the work is done by volunteers. I have had the pleasure of attending a presentation by Dr. Vincent, and their funding, as with all conservation groups, is never enough. As for the magazine, they should be clearer that any use would be related to Project Seahorse. As for "rich" photographers donating photos....rich?...get serious. Perhaps noone asked them to donate. Perhaps they thought the opportunity to get published while helping a good cause would appeal to amateurs.