Who owns high school sports -- UPDATED
The Illinois Press Association has sued over a state high school association rule to limit access to and use of photographs from high school sporting events. The Arkansas Activities Association is heading to a showdown with Arkansas press on this very issue.
It's nuts, of course. The association is funded by public dollars. Most members are public schools. Without the huge (some might say overly huge) coverage that newspapers give high school sports, interest would be vastly diminished. And yet the athletic associations want to up their revenue by claiming reprint rights and such.
Perhaps a reader can update us on where the negotations between the AAA and the media stand here.
UPDATE: On the jump, a note from a newspaper sports editor in Arkansas on the subject. Also, the Southwest Times-Record in Fort Smith won't be sending a photographer to football playoffs because of unhappiness with the rule. Earlier, it had not photographed girls volleyball matches.
UPDATE II: Here's a story from Tuesday's Morning News about the brewing controversy.
In response to my question about what the dispute is about, an editor wrote:
It's another way for the AAA to make a little money.
Tom Ewart, formerly of Hawgs Illustrated, bought the photo rights to all AAA events (i.e. the postseason tournaments). So the AAA wrote this policy forbidding anybody (not just other professional photogs) from shooting photos or videos and then selling them. The AAA contends it's just aimed at professional photogs and not newspapers. But the way the policy is written, it's overly broad. The AAA is claiming copyright ownership over any photos taken at postseason events.
That's where I have a problem with it. If the AAA owns the copyright to all postseason photos, does that mean I need express written permission to run file photos taken during previous postseasons? And if they can claim copyright info over photos that they haven't taken, what's to stop them from claiming copyright on statistics from the game itself?
Comments
The AAA is copying the bunch on the Hill.
Posted by: Cato![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
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November 5, 2007 11:14 AM
the aaa is heading for a train wreck. the newspaper coverage is an advantage to both the paper and the school. the parents buy the papers and the articles keep the school programs up to size. without publicity the athletic programs shrink in size. this would be a very stupid move.
Posted by: zonker![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
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November 5, 2007 12:18 PM
Fort Smith had a note in Sunday's paper that they weren't covering the state volleyball tournament with photographs due to the AAA's new rule.
Of course that's volleyball, the big beast is the high school football playoffs start Friday.
Posted by: Crash Davis![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
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November 5, 2007 12:42 PM
Roy Ockert had a weekend editorial about it, too. I agree with him.
The AAA is shooting itself in the foot here.
Posted by: craighead gal![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
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November 5, 2007 01:40 PM
Roy Ockert had a weekend editorial about it, too, in the Jonesboro Sun. I agree with him.
The AAA is shooting itself in the foot here.
Posted by: craighead gal![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
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November 5, 2007 01:40 PM
I could see a press association reversing the terms or the con. Just let the respective high schools know that if they want their games covered they must first buy an advertisement for the game.
Posted by: Knoc Knock![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
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November 5, 2007 01:42 PM
Let's see now....who runs the AAA? Oh, yeah, the same profession who runs our public schools. Coaches. 'Enuff said.....right?
Posted by: Cato![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
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November 5, 2007 02:11 PM
As a professional photographer, I gotta say that this is refriggingdiculous.
Public schools are just that - public. Paid for by tax dollars, even from people who don't have kids in those schools. I can understand the INDIVIDUALS (and their parents) wanting to control the rights to their images, but I don't see where any association has any legal leg to stand on. That would, however, include only publication rights. Anybody at any public event doesn't have any right to say whether or not you can TAKE their picture - only what you can do with it after it is taken. What's next? They'll tell parents of players they have to leave their cameras at home?
Posted by: RickBaber![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
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November 5, 2007 06:42 PM
I'll second Knoc Knock's suggestion and up the ante. Let the AAA take the pictures, write the stories, and buy space in the newspapers to have them printed. Max, I feel certain the AT would even print a special edition, if the price were right.
Posted by: Pavel![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
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November 5, 2007 08:07 PM
This is really stupid. The news coverage etc. should ignore the AAA. Go ahead and do what they do. Let the coaches sue. They won't and if they do they lose. It's High Noon and the bad guy just got off the train...
Posted by: FortSmithBoy![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
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November 6, 2007 10:15 AM