Is this a copyright issue ?

[Lobo]

I ran a football competition about 18 months ago, it was nation wide, trying to set up interest and training for kids etc...

Subsequently I noticed that an organisation called "kick racism out of football" have used a photograph of one of the winning teams in one of their brochures..

It is a photograph one of their people took at the event, but they have placed it in their brochure as if it was one of their initiatives.. not actually said that but still used the image..

Now I am totally up for what they are doing and support it, but there is someting about using my competition and my initiative to make out it was there's which does not sit right with me ?

At the very least it is very poor etiquette, at most they are using my product in their brochure to make out it was them..

I'm kind of torn between, just leave it, let it go, it's not that important, and it's not .. and NO, piss off I worked my arse off to make that happen, you can't let people get away with that whoever they are..

Any ideas on how I should best approach this ?

[edited by: Lobo at 6:24 pm (utc) on Jan. 25, 2009]

[mack]

I can see why you would be unhappy, but I am not sure if there is a copyright issue if it was one of their people who took the photograph.

The real issue may, be did they have permission to take the photograph in the first place and do they have the right to use it.

There are a lot of factors to take into account. and this may infact fall into a very grey area. Some factors are....

Where any minors photographed, did they have permission to take the photographs, do they need a model release from the players to pubish them in any form.

I think the best course of action may be to contact the organisation directoy and ask to be credited for organising the competition. Sometimes these situations aren't worth the fight, when you said yourself you do support what they are tryign to acheive.

I agree they may have went about it in a wrong way, but your work and their work does seam to be workign for each other, and not against.

Just my 2p.

Mack.

[weeks]

I'm not entirely sure you are griping or bragging. Such problems! People coming to your event, taking pictures and posting them every where as a sample of the sport in general.

Welcome to the world of being famous and successful. The first thing that goes is control. Get use to it.

You have no claim. The photographer, yes. The people in the phone, maybe. You, no.

Now, next time you see Sting, you two can chat about how annoying it is.

Now, I have a similar annoying problem. Beautiful women keep calling me up...

[Lobo]

I do understand that to some extent, but if you put on an event, then another company put it in their brochure with actually this brilliant event was organised and arranged by us.. that's a different story..

I can photograph sting and put it in my publication but I can't make out that his latest song was actually written by me and here are more things I've done.. to make myself look good..

[edited by: Lobo at 6:23 pm (utc) on Jan. 27, 2009]

[weeks]

You said they didn't say that, but the photo suggested it. Maybe.

Anyway, you came close to outlining the business model for most celeb magazines and web sites and even many newspapers and cable news channels. Get as close as you can to the stars so you are a star, too.