cute, huh?
I often get requests from people about either using MY pictures to enter their children into contests, or family members tell ME to enter MY kid into photo contests. I admit, Lilly is pretty stinkin cute… but have you ever thought about and read the TERMS of a photo contest? I ask you to PLEASE read ALL TERMS and CONDITIONS of every single place you submit your pictures to…including unwatermarked pictures on facebook, myspace, your personal blog etc.
I heard on the radio that a local radio station was doing a cute baby photo contest and that there’s tons of cash prizes and your child could be up on a billboard around town. How cool would that be? Everyone thinks “my kid is cute enough!! I’m going to enter!” Hold up!!
I heard the ad and even said to myself… “Lilly is super cute… I think I will enter”…
So I go to their website and read “terms and conditions” before uploading ANYTHING (please do the same thing!)… sure enough it’s the SAME terms and conditions as most contests you see around (like from costco, newspapers, etc)…
The following was taken directly from their site under rules:
“BY ENTERING THE CONTEST, YOU ARE VERIFYING THAT (1) YOU ARE THE PARENT AND/OR LEGAL GUARDIAN OF THE BABY IN THE SUBMITTED PHOTO, AND (2) THE OWNER AND PRODUCER OF THE SUBMITTED MATERIAL AND THAT NO THIRD PARTY OWNERSHIP RIGHTS EXIST TO THE PHOTOGRAPH SUBMITTED. BY ENTERING THE CONTEST, YOU ARE TRANSFERRING ALL OWNERSHIP RIGHTS OF YOUR SUBMITTED PHOTOGRAGH TO THE COMPANY, AS DEFINED ABOVE. YOUR SUBMITTED PHOTOGRAPHWILL NOT BE RETURNED AND YOU WILL NOT BE PERMITTED TO USE THE SUBMISSION FOR ANY COMMERCIAL USE AFTER IT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED.”