Photographer calls Taylor Swift a hypocrite
Taylor Swift has been killing it lately with her fight against unpaid streaming services related to Apple's latest endeavor, Apple Music. Though not all this publicity has been good, as photographer Jason Sheldon has called Swift out on her hypocritical behavior.
Read more: Apple to pay artists during free music trial after Taylor Swift threatens to pull album
Sheldon notes that Swift has very strict photography policies for photographers shooting her concerts, which extends to instances such as: “The photographs may be used on a one-time only basis for news or information purposes within the body of related text of the publications entitled [x], and shall not be (a) duplicated or reprinted in any other publications, (b) republished in the same Publication or Published in any other edition of such Publication without the Artist’s written consent…” Also: “Subject to the written consent of the Publication as to any specific future use, FEI shall have the perpetual, worldwide right to use (and to otherwise others to use) any or all of the Photographs for any non-commercial purpose (in all media and formats), including but not limited to publicity and promotion.”
Sheldon, who runs Junction10, notes that these restrictions make it very difficult for freelance photographers. He went on to write from his blog:
Now… forgive me if I’m wrong, but if you take points 2 and 3 in that contract (which is provided to Photographers who need to agree to those terms before they are allowed to do their job in photographing you for editorial outlets), it appears to be a complete rights grab, and demands that you are granted free and unlimited use of our work, worldwide, in perpetuity. You say in your letter to Apple that “Three months is a long time to go unpaid”. But you seem happy to restrict us to being paid once, and never being able to earn from our work ever again, while granting you the rights to exploit our work for your benefit for all eternity….
How are you any different to Apple? If you don’t like being exploited, that’s great.. make a huge statement about it, and you’ll have my support. But how about making sure you’re not guilty of the very same tactic before you have a pop at someone else?
Photographers need to earn a living as well. Like Apple, you can afford to pay for photographs so please stop forcing us to hand them over to you while you prevent us from publishing them more than once, ever
What do you think? Does Sheldon have a point? Is this all bad blood?
