Real-life MMD: Should I share holiday disaster news story money?

originalkat

I don't have any expert knowledge but I suspect that the journalist will offer an amount for the story and I think you should take your friends out for a meal or something similar as has been suggested previously as it was a shared experience. However the amount will be higher if you provide photos and that is not your money due to copyright.It should all go to the friends who own the photos who will hopefully take everyone out for a meal on their earnings It is a bit of a minefield, what about the people you have talked about, have you asked their permission to use their names/photos? Tread carefully or they could be ex friends.

Prothet_of_Doom

Lets be professional about this, for a moment and forget the friendship side.
You could act as agent for the use, but maybe sale of the copyright of the pictures. An agent would make it legally binding that each use of the photo's would incur a payment, so any re-runs of the TV series or use by other media networks or DVD sales would also get a payment.
Or they would sell on behalf of the copyright holder, the whole copyright.

You don't appear to be experienced in the sale/rent of copyright, and in trying to make a quick buck you may underprice it.

You can however SELL your story. You need to be careful that you are not selling an exclusive, and should other journalists want to talk to you, you can sell the same story to them.

You have done some work, and incurred some costs, so you should get something for that, but the copyright BELONGS to someone else. (Is that theft? or is it a civil matter?).

If you'd taken the photos, then the dilema would be different. In that case, I would down-play the amount, and take them out for a meal, or give them 1/4 of the money (after taking out my expences).

As an aside, you may want to register for self assessment, as it's going to be taxable, and you can offset the costs you incur, as a business expence.

alcarm77

Something similar happened to my brother, when he sent in a video of a friend's stunt-gone-wrong to You've Been Framed and it was selected so he received £250. I believe he had filmed the video so it was his copyright but am not 100% sure. However, in his view he could not have earned the money if he had not been with his friends (as the filmed incident would not have occurred) so he put the money towards a short trip to Amsterdam for the group of friends. I think he also found the trip to be a more memorable use of the money than having £250 in his bank account, so that is also worth taking into consideration.

Gigervamp

scotsbob wrote: »

I'm sure a trained journalist will be fully aware of the laws on copyright regarding the photographs.
Other than that you are free to recount your experiences without reference to your friends.
Although they may not be your friends if they find out what you have done. It's your call

It doesn't stop the Daily Mail from using uncredited and not paid for pics that they lift from places like Twitter.

Just yesterday, one of the people I follow on Twitter, finally got the Mail to pay for one of her pics that they'd used without permission.

Augustus_the_Strong

Get the journalist to pay your friends direct for copyright on the photos. It's not worth losing your friends for a few quid.

Augustus_the_Strong

How come so many of these dilemmas are basically 'I have the opportunity to shaft my friends/family for a sum of money. I feel a bit iffy about it so please reassure me that it's ok.' ? Some things are more important than gaining money.

Sharon87

Is the journalistic offering a flat fee for story and photos as a whole and assuming you own copyright. If so give some money to the copyright holders. If there's a separate fee for photo and story then keep the story money for yourself or share it however you want and give the photo money to the friends who took it.

jmwillow

It's your effort to recount your story so why would anyone else have a claim to your reward. It would be a nice gesture to treat the friends who shared the bad experience with you but I don't see how they could expect payment as a right. I would definitely ask the permission to use the photos though as friends I am sure they would let you and enjoy your success in getting published.

Elisecas

Yup, what they all said.

The copyright of each photograph is owned by the person that took it. You cannot, therefore, sell them to a magazine yourself.

And as the magazine knows all this I'd stop worrying; they won't publish the photos and therefore this dilemma doesn't actually exist.

But if I were your friend and I'd stumbled across this, realised you'd written this, you'd be embarrassed, right? Because you'd not have written it if you were comfortable you were in the right.

Well....

happyinflorida

These are your friends, so you need to discuss with them first. Obviously you must ask permission from the person who took the photos, as they actually belong to them. If you feel strongly that you should keep all the money, tell them why and see what they say. Get the friend who took the photos to sign something to say it's ok to use them.