LPGA screws themselves in no news photo coverage

Kind of appropriate in some ways, AP carps at the rights grab of the

LPGA while screwing anyone who would shoot for AP out of all rights

to everything.

 

 

 

Feb. 22, 2006, 7:34PM

AP Denied Access to LPGA Tournament

 

 

ﾩ 2006 The Associated Press

 

KAPOLEI, Hawaii ﾗ The Associated Press was denied credentials to

cover the LPGA Fields Open tournament Wednesday in a dispute over

new restrictions on use of its stories and photos.

 

AP reporter Jaymes Song was not allowed on the course during

Wednesday's practice rounds or in the media room to cover Michelle

Wie's pretournament news conference after refusing to sign the

credential form with the new restrictions. Freelance photographer

Ronen Zilberman also refused to sign the form and was denied a

credential.

 

The tournament begins Thursday.

 

Without an agreement, AP sports editor Terry Taylor said the AP will

not provide photographs or other news coverage of LPGA events but

will carry final scores.

 

The LPGA said the restrictions were in line with other pro sports

organizations and would not limit news-gathering access, but

were "designed to maintain and protect the LPGA's existing rights

regarding images used for commercial purposes unrelated to news

coverage."

 

The AP, however, said the proposed regulations would limit its use

of stories and photos after a tournament ended and would give the

LPGA broad rights to use that material for its own purposes at no

charge.

 

"Any stories and photos produced by AP staffers belong to AP,"

Taylor said. "We cannot accept this attempt by the LPGA to put such

severe limits on AP's editorial use of its own work, and we can't

accept any demand that AP provide free use of its material as a

condition for being allowed to cover an event."

 

Dave Tomlin, the AP's assistant general counsel, said the LPGA was

not addressing the issues.

 

"While the LPGA's revised terms don't limit access, they severely

limit our use of our own photos," Tomlin said. "If we ever wanted to

use an AP photo from an LPGA event for anything but illustration of

a news story about that particular event, we'd have to ask for

permission. I'm not aware of any other league that has demanded such

a condition for obtaining credentials. And LPGA's demand for

unlimited free use of our LPGA photos and stories is just as

unprecedented and just as unacceptable. We want to cover LPGA events

but not at this cost."

 

Tomlin said the AP had no objections to limits on commercial use of

its coverage, which all leagues forbid, "but the LPGA credential

still limits our editorial use to illustration of stories about the

event actually depicted in the image."

 

"If a golfer is photographed at the Fields Open, for example, and

two months later is involved in a boating accident or is otherwise

in the news, use of the Fields image to illustrate that subsequent

story would require LPGA permission."

 

AP also would be prohibited from licensing the image to editorial

customers for use in golf-related books or magazines, Tomlin said.

I just saw a little about this on the NPPA list. It is ironic that the AP is in a huff about this. While one sees their point they can hardly be called the good guys given the way they screw freelancers. Oh well the news photography end of the buisness just keeps getting worse and worse.

NPPA Supports AP's Decision To Dispute LPGA Golf Credentials. Article at:

 

http://www.nppa.org/news_and_events/news/2006/02/apgolf.html

I'm far from an AP fan myself but this time it's good to see them stick up for their rights. Sr*w the LPGA after all it's girl golf. (no offence meant there sorry girl golfers)

 

Just sounds like LPGA want something for nothing.