exile
10th of June 2008 (Tue), 11:02
OK, I've done a search on here and haven't come up with anything that directly relates to this question ...
I have been offered an opportunity to "author" some travel/landscape style photography books. However the contract appears to be more appropriate to a non-photography book. Specifically the copyright and "Grant of Rights" sections are of concern.
Under "Copyright", the publisher says they will copyright the "Work" in my name, but under "Grant of Rights" they are claiming "the exclusive rights comprised in the copyright in the WORK, and any revised editions, in all languages, in any country throughout the world, the right by itself or with others, to print, publish, republish, display, transmit and distribute the WORK, etc" and "is granted the full and exclusive right, in the territories set forth in paragraph x, to license, and sublicense, others to print, reprint, publish, republish, distribute, transmit, display, sell, adapt, abridge, condense, or otherwise exploit the WORK, or any part thereof"
This sounds to me like they are essentially claiming rights on not only the text but also the photographs. I have mentioned that I'm also working with a non-competing organisation and they say that shouldn't be a problem, but I'm not going to make the mistake of taking this on a gentleman's agreement if the only thing I have in writing appears to contradict this.
I know this is going to elicit a number of "never assign your copyright" replies. Let me head these off by saying I have no intention of doing this, however, I would be very interested in hearing from anyone who has been in the position of published a similar book and how the publishers approached the issue of image copyright.
Note: I'm in the UK and so the images are my copyright as soon as I click the shutter. I do not need to register them with anyone.
I have been offered an opportunity to "author" some travel/landscape style photography books. However the contract appears to be more appropriate to a non-photography book. Specifically the copyright and "Grant of Rights" sections are of concern.
Under "Copyright", the publisher says they will copyright the "Work" in my name, but under "Grant of Rights" they are claiming "the exclusive rights comprised in the copyright in the WORK, and any revised editions, in all languages, in any country throughout the world, the right by itself or with others, to print, publish, republish, display, transmit and distribute the WORK, etc" and "is granted the full and exclusive right, in the territories set forth in paragraph x, to license, and sublicense, others to print, reprint, publish, republish, distribute, transmit, display, sell, adapt, abridge, condense, or otherwise exploit the WORK, or any part thereof"
This sounds to me like they are essentially claiming rights on not only the text but also the photographs. I have mentioned that I'm also working with a non-competing organisation and they say that shouldn't be a problem, but I'm not going to make the mistake of taking this on a gentleman's agreement if the only thing I have in writing appears to contradict this.
I know this is going to elicit a number of "never assign your copyright" replies. Let me head these off by saying I have no intention of doing this, however, I would be very interested in hearing from anyone who has been in the position of published a similar book and how the publishers approached the issue of image copyright.
Note: I'm in the UK and so the images are my copyright as soon as I click the shutter. I do not need to register them with anyone.