For over 25 years I've been a volunteer supporter of my local Wildlife Trust. Recently, I received an email asking all volunteers to sign a new form, they say "to make sure that we have everyone’s up to date details" Fair enough. However, I on the back of the form it says (among other things) :
"I agree to assign copyright of any material I produce to ............. Wildlife Trust. I understand that ...WT may use my work, in any of its publications, electronic or printed, without requiring my specific consent on each occasion on which it may choose to do so. This shall include leaflets, printed information material, printed magazines, website, emails, social media and any other print or electronic format. I understand that this means the organisation has control of copyright for material / work I produce and that I shall not receive any payment for copyright on materials. Wherever possible, ............Wildlife Trust will credit me by name as the producer of the material used."
Now I have no objection to the Trust using any photos etc. for their own use, it's part of supporting them. But "to assign copyright" implies that they have complete control of everything. Naturally, I won't be signing off to this. I had intended to spend most of this year photographing in a couple of their nature reserves, with the intention of producing full illustrated accounts, which would be distributed freely into the public domain. But, I would insist that text and images would remain my copyright not theirs. After all, it's all my work.
I wonder what others think. It seems to me that this is part of an increasing trend for organisations to be control freaks when it comes to photography.
"I agree to assign copyright of any material I produce to ............. Wildlife Trust. I understand that ...WT may use my work, in any of its publications, electronic or printed, without requiring my specific consent on each occasion on which it may choose to do so. This shall include leaflets, printed information material, printed magazines, website, emails, social media and any other print or electronic format. I understand that this means the organisation has control of copyright for material / work I produce and that I shall not receive any payment for copyright on materials. Wherever possible, ............Wildlife Trust will credit me by name as the producer of the material used."
Now I have no objection to the Trust using any photos etc. for their own use, it's part of supporting them. But "to assign copyright" implies that they have complete control of everything. Naturally, I won't be signing off to this. I had intended to spend most of this year photographing in a couple of their nature reserves, with the intention of producing full illustrated accounts, which would be distributed freely into the public domain. But, I would insist that text and images would remain my copyright not theirs. After all, it's all my work.
I wonder what others think. It seems to me that this is part of an increasing trend for organisations to be control freaks when it comes to photography.
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