Selling photos from sports events online

viventi · Jan 10, 2010

Hey guys, I've been searching all over the place for this and I wasn't really able to come up with a clear cut answer. Short version of this is, I attend a lot of NHL games, and I'm sure anyone who's ever gone to a sports event has seen the autograph hounds before and after every game. One day after a Rangers game I went up to one of them and asked them where they bought the photos they're using, he answered with ebay. The photos he had weren't official NHL licensed photos (they have the stamps on them) but I know this guy is gonna go online later and sell whatever he collected for some kind of profit.

What I wanted to know is, if I take photos at a game, legally, am I allowed to sell them online at a place like ebay for example?

Please excuse me if this has already been posted, I just didn't find anything in the search, although I'm sure it's been asked before. Any help would be appreciated!

manaheim · Jan 10, 2010

I'm not an expert on this by ANY means but I seem to recall hearing more than once that you cannot sell pictures taken at any game of any major league without some kind of license.

viventi · Jan 10, 2010

Just general common sense tells me that you're probably right, but I've never been able to find a clear cut response, or a place where such rules are posted.

Things that make me wonder about it are sites like flickr...people can buy photos on there right? If I take photos of the NY Rangers and post them on my Flickr account and someone buys one, isnt Flickr making a profit from a professional sports event?

Rekd · Jan 10, 2010

I think it depends on the league. The NFL, for example, has very strict rules against this. The NHL may not, I don't know.

It would be safest to contact the league and ask them before you do it.

c.cloudwalker · Jan 10, 2010

Rekd said:
It would be safest to contact the league and ask them before you do it.

That is actually the last people I would call. I already know what they will say... :lol:

and it may not be true.

My answer is: go ahead and sell. If they didn't specifically tell you not to shoot, it is basically the same as saying go ahead.

That said, however well intentioned anybody here is, you are going to get a lot of BS answers. Including mine by the way. We are photographers not lawyers and I sure wouldn't trust any of the members' answers when it could end up costing a fortune in legal fees.

Spend a little now by talking to a lawyer and either save yourself a lot of heartache or make some decent money off your images. BUT make sure it is not your family lawyer you call. You know the one. He who handles last wills, divorces, etc.

Call a lawyer who is highly experienced with copyrights, trademarks, and this kind of good crap. This is no time to cut corner and save a dime :grumpy:

Josh66 · Jan 10, 2010

viventi said:
Just general common sense tells me that you're probably right, but I've never been able to find a clear cut response, or a place where such rules are posted.

Things that make me wonder about it are sites like flickr...people can buy photos on there right? If I take photos of the NY Rangers and post them on my Flickr account and someone buys one, isnt Flickr making a profit from a professional sports event?

It doesn't work like that. YOU can buy prints of YOUR photos, but nobody else can, and you can't buy prints of someone else's stuff.

Just click on someone's picture, and you'll notice that only about half of the buttons that are present while looking at your pictures are even there.

I would be surprised if you were allowed to sell pictures that you just took from the stands... Sometimes there's some fine print on the back of the ticket stub...does yours say anything? Check the website of whatever arena you were at too.

viventi · Jan 10, 2010

O|||||||O said:
It doesn't work like that. YOU can buy prints of YOUR photos, but nobody else can, and you can't buy prints of someone else's stuff.

Just click on someone's picture, and you'll notice that only about half of the buttons that are present while looking at your pictures are even there.

I would be surprised if you were allowed to sell pictures that you just took from the stands... Sometimes there's some fine print on the back of the ticket stub...does yours say anything? Check the website of whatever arena you were at too.

Ah! thanks for clearing that flickr thing up for me...

All the photos I take are definitely from my seats...but its not like theyre photos that are blurry/bad angles/things in the way. An example of what I'd want to try to sell is along the lines of these...

They're nothing too spectacular but it's pretty up to par with what people can buy that have the NHL licenses. I'd only be selling them for like 3 or 4 bucks each as well, if even that.

Josh66 · Jan 10, 2010

I don't know if you can sell them or not, but I agree with cloudwalker - if you ask the league they will tell you NO, even if you can.

I think I would try to find out for sure before you sell anything though... They may never even find out, but if they do they might want to make an example of you and sue you for everything you have...

Rekd · Jan 10, 2010

c.cloudwalker said:
Rekd said:

It would be safest to contact the league and ask them before you do it.

Click to expand...

...
My answer is: go ahead and sell. If they didn't specifically tell you not to shoot, it is basically the same as saying go ahead.

Yeah, because it's always super easy to fight these entities in court when they sue the crap out of you because you didn't read some fine print somewhere... :chatty:

viventi · Jan 10, 2010

O|||||||O said:
I don't know if you can sell them or not, but I agree with cloudwalker - if you ask the league they will tell you NO, even if you can.

I think I would try to find out for sure before you sell anything though... They may never even find out, but if they do they might want to make an example of you and sue you for everything you have...

Yeah my thoughts as well. I've seen people doing exactly what I would like to do on eBay, and have sold thousands of images and seem fine. But I'm still wary. I should just try to somehow get some media credentials and get a job with a team/league :mrgreen:

I, like most people who aren't professionals, am just trying to make some extra income. *sigh*

gaetanphoto · Jan 11, 2010

I am assuming you are authorized by the team because most NHL team policy goes something similar to this:

Cameras/Photography

No commercial or flash photography of any kind is permitted. Camcorders or any other audio/visual equipment is prohibited unless authorized by team/promoter or performer. Specifically, the use of the following equipment is not permitted:

* Lenses greater than three-and-one-half inches in length
* Telephoto or zoom lenses of any kind
* Interchangeable lenses of any kind
* Monopods or tripods
* Flash equipment of any kind

Therefore I could only assuming they would not take to kindly to you making money of the pictures of thier team.

EJKelehan · Jan 14, 2010

Usually the back of your tickets will include any rules pertaining to photography, i know it does for local concerts and games I go to, where "professional" cameras (DSLR's) are prohibited.