Posts tagged copyright
Editorial & Environmental Portrait Photography
Social Media - The Rights Grab Price Of Entry Is Too High For Professional Artists and Photographers
Last month I removed my profile from Pinterest because after reading the Terms of Service I found out that Pinterest gave itself the right to sell my work without my permission and/or knowledge and without further compensation to me. Although they just changed that practice, they along with other mass media (except Tumblr) keep the right to use my work product for their own benefit without any compensation to me… ever. So the question becomes whether or not it is worth the price of entry for me to pay (even though the services are purported to be free—by grabbing the rights to use my work I am in essence paying for the service) balanced with the exposure my work gets. That is a question that each photographer and/or artist has to answer for him or herself. I, for one, think the price is too high.
The social media revolution is filled with opportunities for self-promotion, but it also poses challenges for photographers who are concerned about protecting their copyrighted, unique creative work. Here’s a balanced approach to protecting your work.
Professional photographers as well as many “weekend warriors” and serious amateur shooters have a love/hate relationship with the Internet, especially on social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Tubmlr, Google+, and Pinterest. On the one hand, it’s a great way to display your work to potential clients, generate print orders, and promote your business. On the other hand, it has never been easier for your copyrighted material to be used without your permission. All you need to know is how to right-click.
