Copyright Question/Situation

[avaloncm]

Without giving too much info, let me explain a situation. I shoot for a local stadium that hosts college football, high school football and international soccer. They pay me and I give them the shots.

The provided my shots to a college sports conference office and requested that I be given credit for any pictures used. A poster was made and posted in several places advertising the conference championship game and pre-game events. 3 of my photos were used and I was not given credit.

Should I have been? Who technically owns the copyright now? The stadium and/or myself.

They sent me a digital file of the poster but are claiming that no more copies exist. (2 days after the event)

I am just curious to know anyone's thoughts. Not that I am extremely upset, just a little irked.

[FlyingPhotog]

Do you have a written contract with said stadium that outlines specifics? If not, you really should so that both parties interests are protected.

I'm no lawyer but IMO, if you are working directly for the venue for the express purpose of capturing images of events that take place there, then they probably can make the case that it's a "Work For Hire" situation and can lay claim to ownership of the images.

It may not be totally correct but that's why contracts get drawn up...

[avaloncm]

I know they probably technically own the pictures. I don't have a problem with the stadium. They gave the pictures to the Conference office with the condition (verbal, I imagine) that I be given full credit on any product produced with the images.

It is just frustrating. I have been published in local newspapers, magazines, but this is the biggest, furtherest reaching thing and credit was not recieved.

[FlyingPhotog]

I know they probably technically own the pictures. I don't have a problem with the stadium. They gave the pictures to the Conference office with the condition (verbal, I imagine) that I be given full credit on any product produced with the images.

It is just frustrating. I have been published in local newspapers, magazines, but this is the biggest, furtherest reaching thing and credit was not recieved.

I think that all you can really do then would be to damn them with faint praise.

Take a copy of the poster with you the next time you're going to be within earshot of those responsible and proclaim how great it looks and that images "X, Y and Z are fantastic. We ought to hire this guy!!" ;)

Sorry you got screwed over.

[avaloncm]

Thanks, just irritating.

Here is the poster. The cheerleader, action photo behind the cheerleader, and the action photo behind the trumpeteer are my photos.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcwphotos/3111563356/sizes/l/

[FlyingPhotog]

I'm curious, now that I see what they did with the images, how/where would they give you photo credit on this? It doesn't look as if they incorporated photo credit anywhere for any of the images.

I think I'd just make a nice 8x10 or 11x14 (whichever format fits better) and have it in my portfolio as a conversation item. You still can derive satisfaction from knowing you contributed to it and you got paid (I assume) for the images they used?

[avaloncm]

I had a similar thing done using my pictures for a full page advertisement for the Magic City Classic. Under the pictures, in white size 10 font said "Photos courtesy of...." Similar thing was done if a book here in town for local attractions. They used a picture of Rickwood Field (the oldest ballpark in America)

You are right, I will just get a large print for my portfolio.

[dekalbSTEEL]

So my question is, if the venue owns the copyright to the images, how did you manage to upload their poster to your flickr account?

[MJPhotos24]

I hope they are paying darn good to own the copyrights and you signed a work for hire agreement - if not, they don't own the images. Depends what the contract says.

[sspellman]

Avaloncm-

In the US-unless you are a full time employee or there is a contract that does transfer copyright, it belongs to the photographer. It is time to talk with your client and come to an agreement on conditions for transfering the pictures to third parties. Also, it is very uncommon for photo credits to be given in collages with a variety of sources.

-Scott