Photography Competitions Listen Up

Sure, they may have listened on this occasion - but is it enough?

The story thus far... I noticed a photographic competition run by NSW Parliament via twitter and, stupidly, retweeted it. You think to your self, the Gov't aren't out to screw us, right? wrong... I was immediately called out on my RT of the competition that led me to read the t's&c's of the comp (something I mostly always do before any type of helpful promotion, but on this case thought it'd be OK) ...upon reading, I learned that the gov't not only "own" your photo if you come in 1st, 2nd or 3rd place, but that they had granted themselves ..well, pretty much everything (see point below)

14. Copyright: Photographers retain copyright in their photographs. However submission of an entry gives to the New South Wales Parliament and the organising committee permission without any fee to exhibit the finalists’ works at the New South Wales Parliament and at any other venue within New South Wales to which the exhibition is transferred during the 12 months after the closing date for entries. Submission of an entry also gives the New South Wales Parliament and the organising committee a non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable permission to reproduce finalists’ photographs without fee and without payment to any featured person for the purposes of marketing and promoting the competition, the exhibition, and any future New South Wales Parliamentary Photographic Prize or similar competition. This permission extends to publication and reproduction for the above purposes in the media, on catalogues, posters, postcards, publications, on the internet (including on the competition website and the Parliamentary website), in any New South Wales Parliamentary publication, and in any other publications (printed or digital) including newspapers, magazines and journals. Where possible, photographers will receive credits with each use.

So, yes, I decided to get in touch.. I chose one of the committee for the competition to email, Mark Tedeschi, whose work I know - You can read what I wrote to Mark here

And here's what Mark wrote back to me. (Thank you, Mark) Dear Simon, As a photographer myself who has entered many competitions over the years, I am all too aware of the issues you have raised. It was the intention of the Organising Committee of the Parliamentary Plein Air Photographic Competition to limit the use of any submitted images to the legitimate promotion of the competition. We take the point that has been made on your website that the third sentence of condition 14 should have a time limit, so we intend to amend that sentence to insert a three year time limit. The fourth sentence clearly relates back to the third.

The last sentence of condition 14 indicates quite clearly our intention to use our best endeavours to ensure that the photographer is credited where there is a publication or reproduction of a contestant's image. As the finalists will be exhibited in a very prestigious public venue (the NSW Parliament), we feel that this is the most we can offer.
Finally, I would point out that the conditions have been hailed by The Australian Institute of Professional Photography as creating "a magnificently fair competition". See: http://www.aippblog.com/?p=425
Regards,
Mark
Incidentally - I can't understand why the note from AIPPBLOG doesn't exist in Google Cache prior to June 25th (Mark wrote to me on the 26th) and I certainly hope it's not a case of "we think we're smarter than you and we're going to attempt to pull the wool over your eyes" - I'm not suggesting there is something funny going on, merely stating fact.
What are your thoughts on this? - comments please.