I just had one of those “duh” moments. I was so gung ho to join groups on Flickr to get my images seen by more people that I didn’t read the fine print on one of them, the Nikon Digital Learning Center group. Once I did I quickly got out!
I read a post that someone made in the group about their topic getting sensored and removed. They were talking about the T.s and C.s of the group and how it gave Nikon the rights to your images once you posted them there. Here is what the group rules say;
By submitting your photograph(s) into Nikon’s Digital Learning Center Group (“Group”), you certify that you have full right and authority to grant the rights and permissions following herein, including but not limited to having written authorization from all persons appearing in your photograph(s) and that all such persons appearing in your photograph(s) are over 13 years of age, and further, you agree that Nikon Inc. and its assigns shall have, without further obligation to you, the royalty free, fully paid up, non-exclusive right and permission to copy, publicly display, publicly perform and use, worldwide in any online media now known or hereafter developed, including but not limited to the World Wide Web, at any time or times, subject to the availability of your photographs(s) in the Group through March 31, 2009, your submitted photographs, Flickr username and titles to the photographs (if any) on the Group website, located at www.flickr.com/groups/nikondigitallearningcenter, unless prohibited by law.
Now, in professional photography school 101 you are told, NEVER NEVER NEVER sign or give the rights to your work away. Why you say? Because they are yours and you are giving the rights to ever make a penny from them when you post to these groups. The only saving grace in this is that they don’t say “exclusive” rights, how big of them, they only are requiring “non-exclusive” rights.
I don’t know if Nikon has it in their heads to create a huge database of stock images from users of their cameras or not, but they are sure not going to reap any benefits from my work for free.
Maybe if Nikon gives me the gear for free, but as long as I am paying for it, so will they!