Here is my philosophical about "stealing" image & copyright, as they're completely different aspect. Unless I don't want to let others know & critic my photograph (hiding under my bed), then nobody can steal my image, let alone the copyright of it. When I posted my picture on website, I am well aware the fact and always post it with the lowest IQ possible, thus if someone happened to steal it, at least they don't have the orig. version, plus I can sue them if I wished.
On other hand, the so call contest (some are legit and honest) photography often using lawyer terms to trick the naive photographer to submit, without realizing the consequence. Of course, it's "Buyer Beware" or it's the responsibility of the contestant to read & understand the rules before submitting it. So if I submitted mine image to Costco, for example, there is no stealing involve, sine the rules is already there, nothing to hide.
Thus, I understood exactly of what you mean - it's given, but my point here is nowadays, many people using a contest as a license to steal, when their intention is to get photographs for free, or pay it with a few dirt cheap prizes - compare to the potential images that they "technically" and morally steal it - but legally nothing wrong with it.
If one can't see the different between stealing image from a website or from the contest, I give up!
Sam tran wrote:
If one can't see the different between stealing image from a website or from the contest, I give up!
Yeah, I'm surprised you can't see it. One is stealing (people taking your photos without consent from a site like Flickr) and the other is not stealing (you willingly submitting your photos to a contest). It's as plain and simple as that.
Honestly, the reputable photo contests are not in the business of taking photos and using them for profit beyond the metes of the contest itself. These companies have media budgets. They don't need to create the illusion of a contest so that they can obtain the rights to photos of a bunch of subject matter that is irrelevant to what they are selling. These contests apply a bunch of excessive legal terms so that they don't have to contact the photographer to get permission every time they want to display a winning photo on a different medium.
On the other hand, there are a lot of unreputable people out there scouring Flickr and photo.net and looking for images that they can steal. A small image can still be stolen and used for the web, business cards, brochures and the like. Maybe some of your images are being used right now and you don't even know it. I'm certain some of mine probably are.
