[Nettime-bold] : Corbis trying to eat photographer's copyrights

[jmm <jmm@free.fr>]

dunno if there are photographers in other countries who are facing the
same  threat,  but  as  Gates  is  the world's leading owner of photos
agencies...

----------
From: GILLES SAUSSIER <motigil@club-internet.fr>
Subject: Corbis trying to eat photographer's copyrights
Date: Jeu 13 avr 2000 21:14


SYGMA PHOTOGRAPHERS ARE FACING THE OGRE BILL GATES WHO TRY TO FLEECE
THEM. PLEASE WRITE A POSTCARD TO SUPPORT THEM.

Corbis has been caught trying to offer a new, bad and indecent contract
to Corbis Sygma‘s photographers in Paris. The contract was immediately
rejected. The photographers in Paris have formed an association and
hired an intellectual property lawyer to defend their interests.

Since then, Corbis claims that they offered the wrong contract to the
wrong people and that the contract shown in Paris was for the
freelancers
only.

Although until now, Corbis Sygma’s freelancers have not received the
contract, it has been discovered that the contract is very similar to
one that has already been distributed recently to the stock
photographers
from Corbis and Corbis Westlight. It is very difficult at that time to
know
who signed such a disastrous contract due to the existence of a
confidentiality clause.

The contract presented to Corbis Sygma in Paris contains some of the
worst conditions ever encountered in photojournalism. They include a
partial
or complete copyright grab, the right to digitally manipulate editorial
pictures and the condition under which the photographer is liable for
the usage of his pictures, digitally manipulated or not, by third
parties,
The royalties are the lowest ever offered to freelance agency
photojournalists and furthermore, Corbis tries to not pay for certain
usages.

This is a very grave situation. An agency that is supposed to defend the

interests of the photographers that it represents is trying to take
their rights instead of defending them.  It is also breaking a written
and
verbal promise that previous contracts will not be changed. This leads
some of
us to believe that they might act the same way with the other agencies
that
they acquired recently or will acquire soon.

This situation does not concern Corbis Sygma or Corbis photographers
only. It does not concern editorial photographers only. It concerns all
photographers in all specialties. It concerns all graphic artists. It
concerns all artists. In brief it concerns all those who need to own and

control the copyright of their work. Copyright is the most important
asset in order to benefit from the future worldwide expansion of the
Internet
marketplace.

For the first time in history, thousands of photographers around the
globe are communicating in real time about a problem that concerns all
of
them. Today, they have the unique opportunity to defend their rights and
their
copyrights.

Some photographers have lost the control of the copyright of their work
in the past because of ignorance or lack of information. There are no
more
excuses. Information is here today. Advice and support is available from

any of us to any of us. If we don’t support each other today, we will
never
support ourselves tomorrow.

Today, we decided to show to one of the major sources of photography,
Corbis, how many we are. We want to prove to them that we really
communicate. We are asking photographers and artists from all over the
world to send a postcard to Corbis Sygma’s photographers. Just write
something
in support of them, of the copyright issue or anything you want. Sign
only
if you want to. It is not important. What is important is the physical
postcard. Thousands of them will be received within the next two weeks
in Paris and will placed in a transparent container.  A Corbis
delegation is
coming back to Paris soon. They will see the container. They will see
the postcards. They will see US.

Just the fact that Corbis Sygma will receive thousands of them will
spread the news across the industry. Magazines, newspapers, advertising
agencies and all those who have tried to grab our copyright for the past
years
will know. This action will rally more and more artists to our cause, to
your
cause.

This is not an action against Corbis, Corbis Sygma or anybody in
particular. This is not an aggressive action. This is a way to show them
that WE ARE
HERE.

Every card is important. If you don’t send yours today, blame only
yourself the next time your own copyright comes under attack from your
agency,
client, government or anyone else. Nobody will defend your rights better

than yourself.

All together, and only together, we will be strong.

You can forward this message to anyone you think might be concerned or
interested.

Thank you for your support.

The address to send your postcard is:

Corbis Sygma
L’association des photographes de Sygma
74 bis rue Lauriston
75016   Paris
FRANCE

For those based in the US, you need a minimum of $0.55 in stamps to mail

a normal size postcards to France.

Frederic Neema
Frederic Neema Photography
fn@fnphoto.com
http://www.fnphoto.com


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