D'oh. Reading the fine print in photo contests

JimKarczewski

Every so often I like to google myself. See what's out there, good or bad. Today I was doing it on my phone and ran across this:

http://www.ouramazingplanet.com/2687-rock-arches-stunning-photo.html

Wow, my photo... Great, credit Me (good) - National Park Service (really? When did I start working there?)

Well, submitted my photo to a contest for national parks held by the NPS, guess I glazed over the part in the rules where they basically said they can use the photo wherever they would like. Now, I'd have no problem with that if it was a WINNING PHOTO for the contest, but I didn't even receive an honorable mention. Is it me, or does it seem a little off that they are using a non-winning photo to promote the national parks (which I want to promote, but I'm not really all OK with how they are doing it if this is the case.)

FYI, the specifics from the rules:

Contestants retain the copyright to their photographs, and all rights thereto,
except as follows. By virtue of a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free,
perpetual license for the photographs granted by the Contestants to the
Sponsor and Federal Recreation Agencies, Sponsor and Federal Recreation
Agencies shall have the right to edit, adapt and publish any or all of the
descriptions and/or photographs submitted (collectively, the “Entries”), and
may use them in any media in association with the Contest and/or the
promotion of the Federal Lands without compensation to the Contestant, his
or her successors or assigns, or any other entity. By entering the Contest,
Contestants agree to have their submitted photograph used and displayed,
either singularly or in combination with others and in any size, on the National
Park Foundation Gallery Contest website without any fee or other form of
compensation due at any time for so long as desired by the National Park
Foundation. Photographs will be credited to the Contestant named in the
Entry form. Descriptions or titles, if any, used with the photos are in the
Sponsor's or Federal Recreation Agencies' sole discretion. In the event that
ownership of any photograph submitted is challenged in any manner by any
person, Sponsor or Federal Recreation Agencies' may disqualify that
photograph and will discontinue use of the photograph.

Mark Dickinson

Plus they got you at fair use

John!

Hey. Just the other day as I was researching possible vacation spots, I saw that photo on a national park website.

Nice photo. Interesting to hear the story behind it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

RyanS

Photo Contest == Nearly Free Content Generator For Cash Strapped Marketing Department

moose135

That's fairly typical for most photo contests, Jim. They spend a couple of bucks running the contest, maybe give away a couple of prizes, and stock up on a bunch of photos that they can use all they want without paying for them, because you agreed to that when you entered the contest.

jpc

Great shot.

Photo Contest == Nearly Free Content Generator For Cash Strapped Marketing Department

VERY true.

Sam

This seems pretty typical for contests. The answer of course is, DON"T send them any images. It's like feeding feral cats.

Sam

W.W. Webster

JimKarczewski wrote: »

I'd have no problem with that if it was a WINNING PHOTO for the contest, but I didn't even receive an honorable mention. Is it me, or does it seem a little off that they are using a non-winning photo ...

This is the classic way for organisations to get free images. Have a contest, give a trivial prize, and let contestants keep their copyright subject to giving the organisers unlimited use rights for free!

Almost every "contest" works like this. So long as suckers keep entering, the contests will keep happening!

ian408

I think what the credit is saying isn't that you work for NPS but that the site got the photo from NPS and you're the photographer.

Nice shot by the way