You are in the right place at the right time and take a one off photograph…………

Mick Turner · 05-11-2009, 9:06 PM

Of a highly newsworthy event. Just imagine you press the shutter just as an event of international importance takes place. You were the only one there with a camera who captured the event and it is a spectacular image. You get home and the story is ‘breaking news’ on the BBC and Sky etc but they have no images or footage of the event. You then decide to email them your image and before you know it, it is gracing TV screens and newspaper front pages around the globe. What would happen then - would you be paid for the image or would you have waived your right when you sent it to the BBC/Sky etc?

John7 · 05-11-2009, 9:15 PM

You'd be a mug to E mail it to anyone without getting agreement IN WRITING first regarding payment details. You would also put feelers out to find who would pay most for your image - IMHO of course, having never done anything like this before!

weetsie · 05-11-2009, 10:32 PM

huge water marks covering the whole image so that it cannot be cropped or healed and make sure you didnt leave a thumbnail attached of the original image.

and i wouldn't release the original till i actually had the money.

allymac123 · 06-11-2009, 11:30 AM

It depends also on what you said in the text with the email. If it was something like "I have this image for you to use" then they might argue they thought you gave them permission to use it.

If you say "would you like to purchase a license of this image for your use" and they use it without paying then they'd have no leg to stand on in court.

Mick Turner · 06-11-2009, 6:05 PM

Thanks for the replies folks. I am not in possession of such a stunning image that the worlds media would be desperate to use but it but I often see news channels like BBC News24 asking people to send images of particular events as they unfold. I was just curious as to what would happen if you acted on impulse and sent in a photograph or video footage of an event which in reality would be highly saleable if you negotiated a deal first.

Pirate!! · 06-11-2009, 6:18 PM

Get the money first and an agreement in writing.

GarryF · 06-11-2009, 7:54 PM

there was scoopt but it seems to have gone out of business