Shooting Coldplay? Be careful...

[AdamGasson]

Chris Martin wants your copyright...

http://www.webvivant.com/coldplay-copyright-grab.html

Obviously promoting fairtrade hasn't got as far as intellectual property yet.

[RichSoansPhotos]

If he wants it, he has got to buy then

[René Damkot]

I guess I won't be shooting Coldplay then ;)

[geeewocka]

ah didn't take long to get around, forwarded the contract to walter rowe -> musicphotographers.net -> steve -> forums

full copy of it here: http://www.dbedford.com/CPrelease.doc

[skifurthur]

Not only do they grab the rights, they specifically say that they can sell the photo without even a photo credit to the photographer.

What a bunch of crap.

[Nouks]

F*cking hell, that's crap. Coldplay is one in really few bands I'd definitely would like to shoot once. Guess I'll never will, then.

By the way, I got a 404 on the URL in your first post. Here's the Google Cache one: http://74.125.77.132/search?q=cache:GaKHZxkiRCwJ:www.webvivant.com/coldplay-copyright-grab.html+coldplay+copyright+photo&hl=nl&ct=clnk&cd=5&gl=nl

[cbh76]

What the crap? I love Coldplay but COME ON!

Although it isn't as bad as U2 charging $50US to subscribe to their website. Seriously, do they need the money at this point?

[jhcanon]

Robbin thievin arrogant bar stewards!

How far up their own a***'s are they

[Nouks]

What the crap? I love Coldplay but COME ON!

Although it isn't as bad as U2 charging $50US to subscribe to their website. Seriously, do they need the money at this point?


I just calculated how much money they would make with their show in The Netherlands.

+50.000 tickets
180 to 230 euro per ticket

Total income on tickets 10.000.000 euros
Minus tour and show costs

Is still lots of money (millions just for one show) left :eek:

No way I'll support a band like U2 with my own money, ever :p

[DDCSD]

Although it isn't as bad as U2 charging $50US to subscribe to their website. Seriously, do they need the money at this point?

To be fair, the videos that they put on the website are likely very high res and eat up a ton of bandwidth. You would be amazed at how much that bandwidth likely costs them, and if it was free to everyone that cost would be multiplied thousands of times. That could easily cost them millions of dollars a year. They also seem to give you an exclusive double CD and tour pre-sales.

I say all of that being someone who doesn't even like U2's music that much. I usually don't change the station if they come on the radio, but I wouldn't drop a quarter in the juke box to hear their music. I personally think they are unbelievably over-rated.


With that said, I wouldn't spend $50 to subscribe to any website. I do understand why they charge for premium features though.

[cbh76]

To be fair, the videos that they put on the website are likely very high res and eat up a ton of bandwidth. You would be amazed at how much that bandwidth likely costs them, and if it was free to everyone that cost would be multiplied thousands of times. That could easily cost them millions of dollars a year. They also seem to give you an exclusive double CD and tour pre-sales.

I say all of that being someone who doesn't even like U2's music that much. I usually don't change the station if they come on the radio, but I wouldn't drop a quarter in the juke box to hear their music. I personally think they are unbelievably over-rated.


With that said, I wouldn't spend $50 to subscribe to any website. I do understand why they charge for premium features though.

Good points, I had not considered the bandwidth aspect. Thanks for the input. I'm not sure if their videos are higher resolution than those on some other bands sites (that don't charge) but it is possible. I wouldn't know though, I would never pay that much money for website access either.

[Dusty]

Well if Coldplay ever want to take photos of me, they'll have to abide by the same rules too !!

:rolleyes:

[blackshadow]

An article on this made it into the British Journal of Photography - http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=847278

[kmb]

I'm somewhat puzzled that these are singled out. I mean, I did not shoot that many big international acts last year (not my cup of tea and traveling to Helsinki and back is a bitch), but rights grab is not news, it's almost to be expected.

Here's the bands with right-grab text that I can remember (last year - maybe half/one-third of the bands of this size I photographed):
- Smashing Pumpkins
- KISS
- Foo Fighters
- Serji Tankian

I'm glad it is written about, but I'd hope they mention how wide spread it is.

[narlus]

the other ones i have heard about (not experienced 1st hand):

nine inch nails
beck
ryan adams

let's start the black list.

fwiw, i've only had to sign 5 waivers ever, and they were all pretty reasonable (for use for the outlet you were shooting for, no copyright transfer) - The Stooges, Muse, The Cure, and The Roots (and one for House of Blues when i shot George Clinton).

[DDCSD]

Red and Secondhand Serenade stated that they required free use of high-res images for "promotional purposes only" to allow freelancers.

Mudvayne has a very reasonable waiver like narlus mentioned, but I just put a line in the box since I wasn't on assignment.

[fishfoto]

For anyone who is shocked at the demand for copyright, you clearly have not been in the business very long. You also have not shot a lot of concerts...which is why I only shoot concerts as the 'house photog' and I gave that up in 2004 when they changed the terms for most 'house photog' agreements.

[Jacobredphoto]

Wow, I've never really liked Coldplay before but this makes me want to hate them. That is just ludicrous. How dare they think that they should just be given the rights and be able to sell the photographs w/o any given credit. Surely won't be shooting them and I am not even a professional.

[narlus]

For anyone who is shocked at the demand for copyright, you clearly have not been in the business very long.

true for me.

You also have not shot a lot of concerts.

i dunno, about 200 in 2.5 years seems like a lot to me.


maybe i just don't shoot the rights-grabbing bands.

[fishfoto]

i dunno, about 200 in 2.5 years seems like a lot to me.


maybe i just don't shoot the rights-grabbing bands.


Lets see who has a rigtgts grab, Toby Keith, Van Halen, Elton John, Coldplay, Darius Rucker, Tom Petty, Kenny Chesney, Hannah Montana, Michael Buble, Jonas Brothers, Bob Dylan, Rascal Flatts, Journey, Neil Diamond, Celine Dion, American Idols Live, Counting Crows, String Cheese Incident, Diamond Rio

Those are off the top of my head and I think most of those were also on Billboards top 25 tours of '08.

[Jacobredphoto]

I thought the Jonas Brothers had an official tour photographer, I think his name is Rob Hoffman, he's a pretty good photographer, he shoots for a lot of younger bands, I would kill to be where he is, LOL.

[Jacobredphoto]

Now for the bands employed with large companies for example the Jonas Brothers are employed by Disney:Hollywood Records, do they decide that or do their employers decide that, just curious. I'm trying to learn a bunch of new things about performing arts photography, I love this forum!

[fishfoto]

Many tours have a tour photographer, or use the house photog, however these contracts being discussed are issued to media covering the concerts for various newspapers and agencies.

This work is very different than being a tour photog.

[Jacobredphoto]

Would you by any chance know how to become a tour photographer. I realize that I am a long ways off and that I will have to become a great concert photographer for the chance most likely, thanks.

[Nouks]

Lets see who has a rigtgts grab, Toby Keith, Van Halen, Elton John, Coldplay, Darius Rucker, Tom Petty, Kenny Chesney, Hannah Montana, Michael Buble, Jonas Brothers, Bob Dylan, Rascal Flatts, Journey, Neil Diamond, Celine Dion, American Idols Live, Counting Crows, String Cheese Incident, Diamond Rio

Those are off the top of my head and I think most of those were also on Billboards top 25 tours of '08.

I'm sorry, but on all bold names: WHO?

At least I know a lot bigger and/or older rock or metal bands don't grab the rights...

On American Idols: Doesn't surprise me... But who would want to shoot them anyway :lol:

[skifurthur]

Lets see who has a rigtgts grab, Toby Keith, Van Halen, Elton John, Coldplay, Darius Rucker, Tom Petty, Kenny Chesney, Hannah Montana, Michael Buble, Jonas Brothers, Bob Dylan, Rascal Flatts, Journey, Neil Diamond, Celine Dion, American Idols Live, Counting Crows, String Cheese Incident, Diamond Rio

Those are off the top of my head and I think most of those were also on Billboards top 25 tours of '08.

While many of those bands may try to grab rights, they don't get them from all photographers. I shoot more than my fair share of A-list major artists have only had to sign a release once. Some have requested that I don't post photos in a forum like this though. At least with me it's more of a handshake deal.

When it comes down to it, everything is open to negotiation. If you don't agree with terms, suggest other ones you can live with.

[fishfoto]

The bands listed above are large touring acts that were the major acts of 2008.

Some of the 'older' bands who issed rights grabs, on the US legs of their tours, would be Poisson, Skid Row, Queensryche, Iron Maiden and quite a few others (and I am a big fan of Maiden, Van Halen and a few others, so no axe to grind).

Oddly enough I spent four days shooting Van Halen as they toured different venues in New York back in 1993, shooting them for a major news service a few days after I graduated high school (I had been shooting for quite some time before I graduated, so it isn't like I got lucky)

I shot James Taylor at home and no contract, no restrictions, he returned his own phone call, and answered his own door and greeted me with "Hi, I'm Jim." In fact he told me to bring my daughter, she napped on his bed while I shot and he made me lunch...we need more major music stars to act this way !

[blackshadow]

Queens of The Stone Age are another to add to the list

[kmb]

Some of the 'older' bands who issed rights grabs, on the US legs of their tours, would be Poisson, Skid Row, Queensryche, Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden possibly does not do it any more then, at least the contract I had to sign in summer 08 for a stadium concert here in Finland was reasonable and quite possibly had the most polite wording I've seen (I think it began with "We would appreciate if..." and ended with a thank you).

[narlus]

i thought Dylan didn't allow shooters.

[skifurthur]

i thought Dylan didn't allow shooters.

Dylan hasn't allowed many photographers for quite a few years now. Occasionally you do see a recent photo on stage so there must be some exceptions.

Rascal Flatts doesn't do a rights grab, nor Tom Petty. I've seen quite a few Elton John photos out there, so I doubt there is a rights grab going on there either.

As for the other bands, I don't know for sure.

Suffice to say that if a performer presented a full rights grab to me I would just say no, unless they paid very well for those rights.

[fishfoto]

Bob Dylan allowed media photogs during the last tour. Photogs as far as I know were from metro dailies, wires and larger news agencies.

The contract of course posed problems due to the ethical issues of staffers signing the contracts as well as media outlets not transferring intellectual property to their subjects.

Rascal Flatts' record label is Lyric Street Records, in turn Lyric Street Records is owned by Disney and Disney has a strict policy of controlling its image and the image of those it represents. They most certainly have a strict contract in place for their concerts regarding the release and reuse of photography shot for media outlets during their shows.

Photo passes are only issues to media outlets and those applying on behalf of a media outlet.


Just because you see photos has nothing to do with rights grabs or a contract. It has to do with the end use as distributed by the photog. Not all photogs follow the rules. I have shot a show for a public relations firm, the rules for photogs was 3-songs and you leave. At the end of the 2nd song one of the photogs was uploading his images to Flickr! This show had a rights grab in place, I didn't sign the media right grab as I was not media, I was there to shoot a PR piece on the concert production crew (lighting, stage, security, etc). I know for a fact that photographers were expressly forbidden from distributing images to 'public and online ventures without the expressed written consent from the band, the band's promoters and the representative record label' (and there is no way you're getting all of those people to consent, you'd have to be a paperwork phenom to do that)

[René Damkot]

I'm sorry, but on all bold names: WHO?


Don't know Tom Petty? :confused:
I'll play you the CD :p