PDA

View Full Version : Credential question


creechjs
9th of November 2007 (Fri), 13:29
So I'm the Assistant Photo editor for "The Miami Student" newspaper here at school. I get season passes to basketball, hockey, and football, but I also shoot soccer, field hockey, and volleyball, which don't require credentials. Since I am a student, I thought about the idea of using facebook as a promotional tool. I figured I'd get my name out there, maybe meet a few athletes, and drive some traffic to my site. It's worked better than I ever hoped and I received several emails from students and student's parents asking for prints. This motivated me to create an athletic events gallery on my own website, so that the parents can go directly to my site and check out what pictures I have of their sons or daughters.

So since doing that, I have sold probably 5 or 6 pictures to 3 field hockey parents. I realize I probably should have done this earlier, but last week I decided to read the fine print on the credential and it basically says:

"Any secondary use of any picture, audio description, film/taping, or drawing of the game taken or made by the accredited organization or individual to whom this credentiall has been issued (including but not limited to use in delayed editorial or non-editorial, advertising, sales promotion or merchandising) is prohibited without prior specific written approval of Miami University Intercollegiate Athletics."

Since reading this I have been really cautious about trying to sell prints to parents. Since I've only sold prints to field hockey parents, which didnt require me to have a credential when I shot it, am I disobeying any rules or could I lose my right to be credentialed? Also does me selling prints to athlete's parents whose game events do require a credential, constitute me to be ejected if the University were to find out? I have probably 3 or 4 emails in my inbox, but I have't replied to them yet because I don't really want to continue selling prints if it means my credentials will be revoked.

Should I just talk to sports media relations about it?
And I guess lastly, does me even using Miami pictures in my portfolio count as abuse of the above quote off of the credential? I mean, in a way, a portfolio is advertising yourself.

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

dmwierz
9th of November 2007 (Fri), 14:03
Jeff,

You're on thin ice, there. I shot The the "other" Miami last year and know their SID office well enough to know they control their image and brand pretty tightly and if it were them they might not be very happy to find out what you're doing. Also, the NCAA has some pretty strong restrictions on these things.

My suggestion is to contact your SID folks and ask them.

Dennis

creechjs
9th of November 2007 (Fri), 14:48
Jeff,

You're on thin ice, there. I shot The the "other" Miami last year and know their SID office well enough to know they control their image and brand pretty tightly and if it were them they might not be very happy to find out what you're doing. Also, the NCAA has some pretty strong restrictions on these things.

My suggestion is to contact your SID folks and ask them.

Dennis

Thanks Dennis. I figured this was going to be the answer I would get, but I thought I would ask for some insight so I would have something going in to my talk with the SID's.

I can understand selling to editorial magazines and such, but I figure I'm just doing a good deed selling to the parents. haha All of the parents have seemed ecsatic to finally have a picture they can frame.