Mystery Writers Forum
General Discussion and News => Chat => Topic started by: Susan August on October 13, 2006, 03:45:22 PM
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Just saw that Court TV has a contest to "Search for the Next Great Crime Writer". But before anyone runs to submit, please read the official rules and tell me if I am mis-reading them. As I read them, all submissions can be used very broadly by the contest sponsor.
"With respect to the participants’ Submissions, participants hereby irrevocably grant Sponsor and its designees the non-exclusive, perpetual, worldwide right to use their Submissions, in whole or in part, alone or in combination with other material, or as a basis for new material, as Sponsor may determine in its sole discretion, and to use the Submission in connection with the Contest and related advertising and promotion or otherwise, but not as a direct endorsement of any product or service. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, participants agree that the rights granted hereunder shall include, but not be limited to, the perpetual, worldwide right of Sponsor and its designees to use, edit, telecast, cablecast, rerun, record, publish, reproduce, license, print, distribute and/or otherwise exploit, in any language and in all media now known or hereafter devised, the Submissions in whole or in part, without any further compensation to participant or any third party. Participants may be required to execute any documents necessary to perfect such rights in the Sponsor."
Any comments on this?
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I wouldn't go near a writing contest with those rules.
"all media now known or hereafter devised"? :o
It seems to be well-written, and cover everything, but I wouldn't enter under those conditions. You're giving up all rights to that story forever.
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I wonder how they expect to get any submissions. :o Of course, maybe most people don't read the rules in advance. I'm not planning to even think about submitting to this one...I pass.
Susan
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I wouldn't submit either.
But there's always someone who's willling to get published at any cost.
Linda
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I wonder why they included the last line:
Participants may be required to execute any documents necessary to perfect such rights in the Sponsor.
Do they perhaps think that their greedy "rules" won't hold up without something more than a submission? I certainly hope that's true. It seems to me that many people do not read the fine print, and a contest sponsor should not be able to acquire rights just by burying a release in their boilerplate and accepting submissions. But who knows...
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Susan
My comments are:
I refuse to sign agreement or contract that is not on a level play ground.
I shall not enter any contest that has rules unfiar.
Enter a contest!
I retain all rights to my work.
I win.
You give to me the grand prize.
You pay all costs.
Leon