You may have noticed a handful of asides, snarky and otherwise, by members of the Dawg Sports writing staff in recent weeks regarding the use of photographs here at the site. This was prompted by the fact that the burgeoning growth and increasing professionalization of SB Nation (both of which are good things) have made the network more conscientious concerning the use of images. The blogosphere is no longer the freewheeling lawless haven it once was, which means we need to make sure all images appearing at this weblog are used lawfully.
Obviously, the rules are different, and are more restrictive, for folks whose names appear on the masthead, but everyone should be aware of the basic ground rules. Generally speaking, of course, the copyright covering any photograph is owned by the person who took the picture, whether that individual was a professional photographer, a part-time sports blogger, or a fan taking snapshots with a cell phone at picture day. There is where you, the reader, potentially have a role to play.
Some images are made available to us through licensing agreements with certain sources. While helpful, these images lack the permanence we would prefer, and, in particular, they cover a limited range. While pictures from football practice and men’s basketball games may be plentiful, more general shots of, e.g., the student section of Sanford Stadium, or live action shots from non-revenue sports, or pictures of notable Athens landmarks, are less readily available.
It is our goal to build an image bank for use here at Dawg Sports. We plan to do this through the Dawg Sports Facebook page. Here is how it works: If you have any appropriate photographs that were taken by you and are relevant to University of Georgia athletics or history, follow the foregoing link to the site’s Facebook page and post them there. While you’re at it, feel free to share any video, graphics, or other materials that are your handiwork and your intellectual property.
The best way to post media to the Facebook page is to upload your pictures or other media directly onto the timeline; if, however, you already have uploaded the images or other media to your personal Facebook page, you may share them with me via private message at my personal Facebook page, and I can then share them on the Dawg Sports Facebook page timeline, subject to whatever privacy settings you have imposed.
Any pictures, video, graphics, or additional materials shared with us in this manner should be appropriate, both in terms of social propriety and in terms of legality; they should not suggest improper affiliations or endorsements, present people in private settings, cast the subject of the picture in an unfavorable light, or come from other sources. By sharing any media with us via the Facebook page, you are representing to us that you own the copyright and consent to our use of the media at the weblog and via other Dawg Sports social media outlets, such as Facebook and Twitter. If we use any such media here at the weblog, we will give credit to the person who provided the image, whether by the name appearing on Facebook as the person posting it or (if you let me know by private message to that effect) by your SB Nation user name. We reserve the right to hide or delete any media that do not conform to these guidelines, and, if you have any questions, you should feel free to ask, either in the comments below or at the Facebook page.
Thanks in advance for your contributions!
Go ‘Dawgs!