Comments on: Big City Plan Digital Challenge http://www.createdinbirmingham.com/2009/03/14/big-city-plan-digital-challenge/ Linking up Birmingham's Artistic and Creative Communities Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:46:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Robert Sharl http://www.createdinbirmingham.com/2009/03/14/big-city-plan-digital-challenge/#comment-48178 Robert Sharl Sun, 15 Mar 2009 10:47:36 +0000 http://www.createdinbirmingham.com/?p=3262#comment-48178 Don't be so surprised that amateurs might have access to the latest digital equipment. Plenty of people spend their own money on their hobbies, and you're forgetting students too, who often can borrow gear. I'm guessing that the "no professionals" rule is to avoid complaints from people who object to signing over unlimited publication rights to BCC, on any submitted images - not just those that are selected for a prize. This pretty much means you won't be able to sell that image again, and certainly not to any magazine that might ask for an exclusivity window. It's a pity that the publication plans aren't spelt out in more detail really (eg. "All entries will be available on the website as screen-sized jpg images for no more than 3 months after the closing date. Winning entries will be required to grant print publication rights for our community newspaper."). The lack of clarity might make for shorter rules (arguably) but it should dissuade people, especially students who aspire to sell work, from entering. Don’t be so surprised that amateurs might have access to the latest digital equipment. Plenty of people spend their own money on their hobbies, and you’re forgetting students too, who often can borrow gear.

I’m guessing that the “no professionals” rule is to avoid complaints from people who object to signing over unlimited publication rights to BCC, on any submitted images – not just those that are selected for a prize. This pretty much means you won’t be able to sell that image again, and certainly not to any magazine that might ask for an exclusivity window. It’s a pity that the publication plans aren’t spelt out in more detail really (eg. “All entries will be available on the website as screen-sized jpg images for no more than 3 months after the closing date. Winning entries will be required to grant print publication rights for our community newspaper.”). The lack of clarity might make for shorter rules (arguably) but it should dissuade people, especially students who aspire to sell work, from entering.

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