Contest legal question

JermbubbaJermbubba Registered Users Posts: 148 Major grins
edited June 20, 2008 in Mind Your Own Business
Any Advice?

I'd like to start my own photo contest. The idea would be that everyday I hold a new contest/photo game. The person who answers correctly would be entered to win a monthly prize. Would this be ok for me to do? Are there any legal reasons why I would not be able to give away prizes from such a game? This would be my own personal site, not something here or else where, just to clarify.
Thanks for your help in advance.

Jermbubba
www.chickchickchicky.blogspot.com

Comments

  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited June 18, 2008
    Jermbubba wrote:
    Any Advice?

    I'd like to start my own photo contest. The idea would be that everyday I hold a new contest/photo game. The person who answers correctly would be entered to win a monthly prize. Would this be ok for me to do? Are there any legal reasons why I would not be able to give away prizes from such a game? This would be my own personal site, not something here or else where, just to clarify.
    Thanks for your help in advance.

    Jermbubba

    Are you going to do that here on Dgrin, or on your personal website/blog?
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
  • JermbubbaJermbubba Registered Users Posts: 148 Major grins
    edited June 18, 2008
    Nikolai wrote:
    Are you going to do that here on Dgrin, or on your personal website/blog?

    On my own personal Site. thanks
    www.chickchickchicky.blogspot.com
  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited June 18, 2008
    Jermbubba wrote:
    On my own personal Site. thanks
    Go have a ball. Nobody's gonna sue you. Just don't award the prize to the same person over and over. mwink.gif
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
  • jwearjwear Registered Users Posts: 8,013 Major grins
    edited June 19, 2008
    unless you like my shots --over and over and over rolleyes1.gifrolleyes1.gifrolleyes1.gif seems like you can do want you want just put up a link
    Jeff W

    “PHOTOGRAPHY IS THE ‘JAZZ’ FOR THE EYES…”

    http://jwear.smugmug.com/
  • JermbubbaJermbubba Registered Users Posts: 148 Major grins
    edited June 19, 2008
    Any one know why other contests require paperwork. for example. here on dgrin if you win. You are required to fill out paperwork. I'm just concerned about any legal mumbo jumbo I should consider. Thanks for the comments so far.
    www.chickchickchicky.blogspot.com
  • redleashredleash Registered Users Posts: 3,840 Major grins
    edited June 19, 2008
    I don't know what dgrin requires in the way of paperwork, but there are basically three main issues with contests: 1) copyright/intellectual property; 2) taxes; and 3) illegal gambing/gambling. Groups and people sometimes get into trouble with contests that violate gaming laws; this is especially true with raffles but I don't see it as an issue with what you are doing.

    In the case of a photo contest, the main concerns would be with copyright and taxes. The copyright issues should be no different than what everyone already knows: you must own the image or have permission from the owner to use it for the specific purpose. If you, as the contest guru, wanted to do something with the winners' images, you'd need their permission first. If you are just going to do a trivia contest or something similar that only involves a limited amount of text, you won't have copyright issues. If the contest involves an image--such as "Who can tell me where this photo was taken?"--you'll need to use your own images, use public domain images, or have permission from the copyright owner.

    The tax issue comes up with prizes. Prizes with monetary value are generally considered income. This would be an issue for the recipient of the prize and not for you as the one giving away the prize. I don't know what you have in mind for prizes but unless you plan to give away some nice gear clap.gif then this is likely not a concern.

    When we signed up for dgrin, we consented to our photos being shown on the internet (because we post them). Since you are going to do this on your own site, I'd suggest you have the contestants consent to their images being posted (by them or by you). You could do this by email or by some automated process where they have to read a consent statement and click "yes."

    Hope this helps--sorry it's so long.

    Lauren
    "But ask the animals, and they will teach you." (Job 12:7)

    Lauren Blackwell
    www.redleashphoto.com
  • JermbubbaJermbubba Registered Users Posts: 148 Major grins
    edited June 19, 2008
    Thanks for all the great info/input everyone. Here is the site im working on. Its been in hidding (until now) and ive only told a select few about it while I work out the kinks. Check it out. and please let me know your thoughts? Comments? Suggestions?
    Thanks again

    www.PhotoToken.com
    www.chickchickchicky.blogspot.com
  • DoctorItDoctorIt Administrators Posts: 11,951 moderator
    edited June 19, 2008
    Since this is really becoming a business/legal discussion, I'm moving it to the appropriate forum - Mind your own business. Lots more folks over there with a mind for consent, ownership, and so forth.

    thanks,
    Erik
    moderator of: The Flea Market [ guidelines ]

  • JermbubbaJermbubba Registered Users Posts: 148 Major grins
    edited June 20, 2008
    DoctorIt wrote:
    Since this is really becoming a business/legal discussion, I'm moving it to the appropriate forum - Mind your own business. Lots more folks over there with a mind for consent, ownership, and so forth.

    thanks,

    Thanks Doctor! You the man
    www.chickchickchicky.blogspot.com
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