Amateur Photo contest

There is an amateur photo contest for Bon Soo it must be photographs taken at Bon Soo events, Here is the link for anyone interested in the details http://www.bonsoo.on.ca/contest.html

This might be a good way to meet some of the others on the forum. After the event organizer for Bon Soo caught my photos from a blog link I had a phone call to do the official photography for Bon Soo. So I'll definitely be at each event shooting away.

Hmm... I don't like this rule:

"All other photos submitted will become the property of Ontario Winter Carnival Bon Soo, and may be used only for promoting the carnival and/or its events."

I there a prize other than getting a photo credit?

I don't enter these contests anyway because I don't like signing my rights over, especially if you don't even win. Unfortunately the rule Nando pointed out is far too common these days.

What does that rule mean anyways? Does it mean that if you enter a photo in a contest with this rule that you can no longer use that photo for anything else?

Do they truly OWN that photo? Will that stand up in court?

I assume so, Mike... considering THIS rule:

All other photos submitted will become the property of Ontario Winter Carnival Bon Soo, and may be used only for promoting the carnival and/or its events.

So even if you DON'T win they can use your photo.

I'll pass... thanks.

That Ownership clause is a real stinker. I had noticed that even when posting images on soonet, Viacom(one of the biggest companies in the world can use your images.

To answer Mikef...
You can never use the image for anything other than self promotion.

It wouldn't matter to me because its just photos from Bon Soo, they can keep them all they want

And that's exactly what they are preying upon, people who don't feel their artwork is worth anything so they'll give them away free to a company to promote their services.

My work is worth more than that and I feel yours is, too.

I don't think that if I were to submit a photo or two and then later frame them and sell them that even if Bon Soo caught wind of that that they'd pursue the matter legally. They're probably just using a boilerplate release statement and may not have even read it themselves.

On the other hand, I sure wouldnt' want to open myself up to that possibility.

Oh I doubt they would either. It's a pretty standard claus in a lot of photo contests. I remember a few years back Microsoft had a photo contest with that rule and there was enough outcry that they changed the wording to say something to the effect of "Microsoft has the right to use the images but the photographer retains all ownership".

I find the following statement under details to be unclear:

"The Winning Photo will be used on professional Bon Soo promotions and marketing material for next years carnival (Ontario Winter Carnival Bon Soo, 2009). Note: ONLY the winning photograph will be selected from all valid contest entries for use in professional marketing and/or print campaigns. "

Does not say "Only the winning photograph will be used in professional marketing and/or print campaigns." However I know that many people will read it that way. I think that Bon Soo ought to make the language on that webpage clear.

Once I read the details/rules, it all seemed rather flaky to me. There is no prize as I can see except for prominent use of the photograph in their marketing campaigns (perhaps) and a credit. Does that imply that all other entries can be used without giving a credit? I'm afraid that I always considered such contests as an easy way for firms or organizations to avoid hiring a photographer or purchasing a license to use a photograph.

To me, it is one thing to give someone the rights to use your photograph for free and another to transfer ownership. In this case, I take "ownership" to mean that the owner of the photograph is the copyright holder. I take many photographs at work. I usually grant my employer free use of my photographs but I never give up my copyright to them. Instead of "ownership", Bon Soo should have asked for something similar to a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License, say. In other words, a license that would grant them the ability to adapt the photo for their use, distribute it but under the condition that they give full attribution to the photographer (but not in a way that makes it seem that the photographer endorses the product/service marketed).

I tend to agree with you Nando. Most of these types of "contests" tend to be just that, free photographs for their use and its cheap also. All they have to do is give the photographer a little credit.