Indeed. So, what do you get for $150? A high-res digital copy of the image? What usage rights come along with that? Would I, say, be able to legally print copies to give to friends as gifts?
How about we tell them to throw in a professional frame with matting and we've got a deal. Maybe there's a business who could buy the license and sell these prints for less. I have a feeling that license would be a lot more than $150 in that case though.
Anyone want the Ultimate MLS CUP Souvenir??? The Original MLS CUP 2008 sign from the HDC? HUGE 5' by 34'!!!! check out item # 270309595599
Getty Images pays MLS a rights fee (mostly for services rendered) to be the exclusive provider of "commercial use" images from MLS events. The credential language technically prohibits other photographers (like myself, or even the Dispatch) from any "commercial use" of the images we take. It has long been common for sports organizations to view prints as commercial use - despite the fact that the Supreme Court disagrees. The point is moot as the league can choose to withhold credentials from future events. Newspapers can sell "reprints". Oddly, books are editorial while posters and calendars are seen as commercial. If there was enough demand I could put together a coffee table book from MLS Cup and put it up on one of those print on demand (like lulu.com) services. The one wild-card, and possible exception to Getty's control is that Crew photographer Greg Bartram may actually control some rights that most of us shooting the game don't have. Certainly the Crew have the ability to make prints available.
Legally? Almost certainly not. That's partly why the price is so high. So many of the sports images on sale on places like eBay or at sports memorabilia conventions are pirated copies with the photographers and their agencies making nothing. Folks can complain all day about all of the watermarking of the images I put on iBiblio, but I learned the hard way when I found a series of my early Freddy Adu images that had been stolen off of my website and turned into a set of rookie cards. I definitely miss the early naive days when we put up unwatermarked full-res images just to share. That stopped being fun when other folks started using our stuff to make money at a time where we were pouring our own money into it with little to no return. I would check with the Columbus Crew. I would hope that they are working to fill the demand. Their team photographer is one of the best in MLS, and I'm sure they're sitting on a great collection of images from the game.
I totally understand that. I just wish there was a noncomm license setup that was appropriately inexpensive. Which, unfortunately, requires people not being jerks. TBH, the images I loved the best (beside Frankie's goal from behind the net) were the studio shots with the cup. I was hoping to get a couple of those for display in the Men's Den, but at $150 a pop, there's no way.
Dammit, now I owe Andy another $10...(Thanks, Andy...kind words indeed) None of my stuff has gone to Getty yet. They told me they didn't want me to upload postgame, even though NYRB's team shooter did. I'm glad, actually...it might cost me a bit of commission, but if I'd have had to transmit a first edit, I would've missed some or all of the fun at the party. When I do send in a second edit (which goes in a few days after the game, and they DO want that one) I can promise we'll see more than the TWO game-action images of GBS that are up there now. The backdrop-and-the-Cup images were shot by a Getty photographer, and I have to assume that the rights for those run differently. I'm going to do some research and see what, if anything, we can do through the team. I've got some ideas, but I don't know how limited the team may be from a usage standpoint.
I looked up Ohio license plates to commemorate the massive win. Someone already took : MLS CUP! There are quite a few others that are still available as of now: http://share.ovi.com/original.aspx?channelname=saturn500f.MLS-Cup-08&media=saturn500f.10757
Re: MLS Cup 2008 I ordered mine on the 24th for pickup at one of the local cord cameras and havent heard from them. Did anyone else do the same?
So... if YCJ put together a coffee table book of images would there be any interest? It looks like the print on demand services run around $25-30 for a 20 page hardcover 8x10" book. That would probably run one or two photos covering two pages, a few more filling a single page, then another group of sub-page photos. Books are editorial, and I can publish the images that Wade and I shot in Carson. I can't sell you prints for $150 like Getty does, but I could sell you a book of images for $30. I've never done one of these, but the last few issues of the ECG were laid out in color and photo heavy, so I have an idea of what it would entail. If there's real interest, just let me know.