National Park Photo Contest

[Saorsa]

The various government agencies connected to National Parks and Forests, Fish and Wildlife and BLM, etc are running a photo contest that ends in December.

From the images seen here I think there are a few folks with a chance.

http://www.sharetheexperience.org/

[chauncey]

A review of the rules indicate that the images will belong to the agencies involved.

[Saorsa]

What I saw there was a royalty-free right to use for the purposes of the agency, not an assignment of copyright. This is actually a fairly common clause in contests. If, for example, they decided to use the image in an ad for a park in Playboy some author might object. I wouldn't.

However, if it showed up in an ad for backpacking gear in an outdoor magazine, that would not be for the purpose of the agency and I would object based on my copyright.

I think you might find the same wording in the T&C for any website where you post a photograph. I couldn't sue CIC if somebody linked an image from my albums here to a post on another site. If I saw someone selling it as a postcard, my problem would be with the publisher, not CIC.

[Nicks Pics]

I don't think I would win that contest, but I did enter a contest hosted by an individual National Wildlife Refuge, and if the rules are the same, by entering the photos you can 1: donate them to the public domain with full copyright waver, or 2: grant the Government agency restricted usage rights-the option I took, obviously, and they did tell me that contestants do retain the right to their photos. They would just like to be able to use the photos that are entered in the contests for the National Wildlife Refuge (or NP system if it is the same) websites, brochures etc. They also give photographers credit, which might get your name out there.