ASMP Reports on Terms of Social Networking Sites

PHILADELPHIA--(Business Wire)--
The American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) has issued a report about the
Terms of Service (TOS) of major social networking sites including Facebook,
Photobucket, Flickr, MySpace, YouTube and Twitter. ASMP commissioned this report
to address the responsible use of social media by members of the photographic
community in light of unclear terms and conditions which give varying image
usage rights to image owners, hosting companies and other users.

According to ASMP President Richard Kelly, "We undertook this review to provide
our Members with important information to help them make good decisions about
posting their work on social networking sites. We believe it is crucial for
photographers to understand their rights as they navigate the rapidly changing
world of social media."

The report presents recommended best practices, TOS considerations, common terms
used and hypothetical situations photographers may face when images are posted
on social networking sites. The report is available at no charge on the ASMP
website www.asmp.org.

The report offers recommended best practices including becoming familiar with a
site before posting images; reading and understanding thoroughly the TOS of a
site; and embedding all images with copyright, contact and other information
before uploading. The report also suggests that photographers should be aware
that, in many cases, the host has the right to change its terms without notice
to customers. Not only can the terms be changed but, in addition, much of the
language is so broad that it`s often difficult to identify the extent of the
hosting company`s rights. The report points out that there is some commonality
among the sites. In all of the site terms reviewed users are prohibited from
infringing the intellectual property rights of owners of posted images; users
can report copy infringement and the host must take down the infringing
material; and there are procedures in place for reporting copyright
infringement.

Finally, the report contains hypothetical examples of situations photographers
may face when dealing with social networking sites. In the report`s three
examples, all six hosting sites offered a wide range of confusing outcomes which
demonstrate the importance of studying the terms of each site and understanding
the potential risks of each.

ASMP is the premier trade association for photographers who create images
primarily for publication. Founded in 1944, ASMP is the leader in promoting
photographers` rights, providing education in better business practices,
producing business publications for photographers, and helping to connect
purchasers with professional photographers. ASMP has 39 chapters across the
country, and its members include many of the world`s foremost photographers.
More information is available at http://www.asmp.org.

American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP)
Eugene H. Mopsik, Executive Director
215-451-2767
mopsik@asmp.org

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