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Twitpic makes deal with news agency to sell users' uploaded photos

nytimes.com

31–38 of 38 posts

Re: Twitpic makes deal with news agency to sell users' uploaded photos

#33

I think there is need for a Twitter image service designed for artists and journalists. Something they can brand (logo and colors) and display clear usage terms/licensing. Possibly watermarking and licensing/payment as well.

That seems to be the goal of http://whosay.com/

ex:

http://www.whosay.com/rihanna/ http://www.whosay.com/50cent

Re: Twitpic makes deal with news agency to sell users' uploaded photos

#36
There is related lawsuit pending between a professional photographer and Agence France Presse, who stole the photographer's photos of the Haiti earthquake from TwitPic without permission, and sold them to newspapers around the world via an agreement with Getty Images.

They claim that the TwitPic TOS allowed them to use (and profit) from the images, and even further, their initial filing even went so far as to say something along the lines of "well, you posted it on the internet, so that means it's in the public domain".

http://copymarkblog.com/2011/05/11/twitpic-photographs-and-c...

http://paidcontent.org/article/419-in-lawsuit-wire-service-a...

Re: Twitpic makes deal with news agency to sell users' uploaded photos

#37
post #32

I don't see the problem with this. They host your photos for free and they want to try to make some money out of it. Sounds like a fair deal to me.

It's all fun and games until a picture makes big bucks. Then, you'll see lawsuits; I didn't read the user agreement well, didn't understand it, it's unfair, it violates [insert law of any US state]...and so on.

Have you seen that CNN and the likes make it absolutely clear the intention when they seek pictures or video for live events (earthquakes of example)? Not hide it on what would page 83 of an agreement.

Re: Twitpic makes deal with news agency to sell users' uploaded photos

#38
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am not a lawyer but I know that a contract has to be fair and obey other laws to be valid.

How do you objectively evaluate "fair"? $0.30 cents per text isn't fair.

You pay a lawyer $600 an hour to figure that out :)
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