Well, who doesn’t see this as a challenge and an opportunity?
-
Yes Beau, your point is well made and I agree, all creatives need to be very cautious about the rights grabs that are prevalent at present. It has certainly become much more of a problem in print in the past two years as companies start to worry about how to make money out of following the customers to digital.
One of the reasons I started the syndicates thread was because creatives need to be careful about signing away rights in their anxiety to get found. The classic example of this is the long-running rights row that Bill Watterson(creator) of Clavin and Hobbes had with his syndicate.
I am sure that mobile operators – and the ensuing content provision operations (agents and syndicates) will attenmpt to do exactly the same to any successful producers of quality content.
This is why we need to talk and exchange user experiences to help avoid these bear traps.
a challenge and an opportunity, yes !
But for whom ?
You may note that several sites (in their early days) claimed copyright on everything uploaded to their service.
The same thing is happening in the UK.
Although only claiming the file, not the work becomes theirs, they stipulate that they may make money out of it in any way they see fit with no reward to the creator.
e.g. making a DVD, producing a TV programme, selling on.
Anyone using these services should first of all find the small print – not always easy – and then read and re-read, especially if they allow themselves the luxury of changing the terms and conditions without notification.
Please note that this does not just happen with ‘upload’ sites.
If you choose to create a blog on space offered by a publisher, similar terms and conditions can apply.
You have been warned !