OWH: www.focusonnebraska.com

[Brad]

The Omaha World Herald is having a Photo Contest.

http://www.focusonnebraska.com

I can't decide if its a good or bad idea to participate?  If you participate, you are giving the OWH the freedom to use that photo or photos however they want, as long as they want.  They way I read their terms of use, they aren't even required to print your name if they publish your photo.

In general it seems like more and more companies are having these photo contests as a way of obtaining free photos with zero limitations on the use.

As a photographer, the "Terms of Use" are just as important the the price.  I would really like to see more of my photos in more books, its always cool when I get a book or magazine and see my photos in it, but I am not sure I can just hand over photos and give them all right to them.

Thoughts?

[Omababe]

Thoughts?

I didn't see the Terms Of Use, and I admit I didn't look very closely since I don't intend to enter.

I'm sure it's a standard contract of adhesion, where one party (you) has very little negotiating power.

[Brad]

Here is the part I really don't like:

6. USER SUBMISSION
Should you send any materials, ideas, or content of any nature, including but not limited to photographs and documents (collectively, "User Submission") to Omaha.com, you do so with the understanding no additional consideration of any sort will be provided to you, and you are hereby waiving any claim against Omaha.com and its affiliates regarding the Use (as defined below) of any User Submission.

For any User Submission, you hereby grant Omaha.com, its affiliates and related entities, a royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive right and license to use, copy, modify, display, archive, store, distribute, reproduce and create derivative works from such User Submission (or any part thereof), in any form, media, software or technology of any kind now existing or developed in the future (collectively, "Use"). Without limiting the generality of the previous sentence, you hereby authorize Omaha.com to share any User Submission in whole or in part with all affiliated companies and web sites, to include any User Submission in whole or in part in a searchable format accessible by users of Omaha.com and other companies and web sites, and to use in our discretion your name and any other information in connection with any Use of any User Submission you provide. You also hereby grant Omaha.com and its affiliates the right to Use any material, information, ideas, concepts, know-how or techniques contained in any User Submission you send to us for any purpose whatsoever, including but not limited to developing, manufacturing and marketing products or services. All rights in this paragraph are granted without the need for additional compensation of any sort to you.

I read that as "We don't even need to print your name"

[Omababe]

I read that as "We don't even need to print your name"

Is that for the photo contest only, or is that a general agreement for editorial content and such?

[Brad]

I read that as "We don't even need to print your name"

Is that for the photo contest only, or is that a general agreement for editorial content and such?

Not sure.  It seems like they started with their general agreement and added contest info to it.

[TechnicalDisaster]

The TOS doesn't seem any different than the TOS for FaceBook, and you post pictures there all the time.

For content that is covered by intellectual property rights, like photos and videos (IP content), you specifically give us the following permission, subject to your privacy and application settings: you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in connection with Facebook (IP License). This IP License ends when you delete your IP content or your account unless your content has been shared with others, and they have not deleted it.

[Brad]

However when I put a photo on facebook, it already has my name on it.

[TechnicalDisaster]

However when I put a photo on facebook, it already has my name on it.

And no one knows how to crop an image? ;)

[Brad]

So are you saying you would enter the contest?

[Timmys Treehouse]

....

[nebugeater]

Brad

I read the guidelines too and here were my thoughts before you ever asked the question.  I would enter one or two images that you think have a shot and could live with the fact that there is a lose of ownership.  As for entering a Lot of images, never.  I am not doing their work for them.  All that opinion is on photos that are no were near the quality that you are putting out.

[jessep28]

Is there a 25 photo viewing limit before you have to be an OWH premium subscriber??

[TechnicalDisaster]

So are you saying you would enter the contest?

Absolutely not.  This 'contest' sounds like a farce.   I've never seen a legitimate contest allow a person to enter more than one or two photos per category.  This looks like link bait to drive up ad-click revenue.  Let thousands of people submit hundreds of photographs to be 'judged' by thousands more = LINK BAIT.

[BRoss]

Is there a 25 photo viewing limit before you have to be an OWH premium subscriber??

[Timmys Treehouse]

Here is a cover shot and a link to a preview of the book OWH plans to release on November 19th, 2012
http://marketplace.omaha.com/shop/produ ... t=3&page=1




Although I have issues with contests like this (which have already been discussed in this treed) it looks like it may be a pretty nice book.