BASF Petronas Chemicals is presenting its Conscience Camera Award to a photographer with a conscience for the third consecutive year. The theme this year is Chemistry In Our Life. The closing date is 30th September 2009.
Do feel free to view the last year’s winning pictures here.
Check out its website here for details.
It is a great pleasure to see more corporate bodies, one after another, come up with photography contest. It is an encouraging move considering photography as a hobby is now gaining popularity among ordinary people. Photography is no longer esoteric that used to be enjoyed only by a limited group of hobbyists thanks to the advent of digital photography.
However it is not so pleasant when you read its rules and regulations. For this contest its Rules & Regulations at No. 5 states that:
“Photographs submitted are not returnable and shall remain the property of BASF PETRONAS Chemicals. The copyright of the image(s) remain with the photographer. By submitting the photograph for this competition, BASF PETRONAS Chemicals reserve the absolute rights to reproduce, publicize or exhibit the photographs in whatever form or medium, without notification or payment to the photographers. The owner of winning photographs shall grant full and exclusive copyright of their winning photos to BASF PETRONAS Chemicals Sdn Bhd.”
I am perplexed why on earth we have to surrender our precious photographic works to any profit-making private company just because we participate in the contest organised by them. And much worse, if you win this contest you even have to surrender your full and exclusive copyright to BASF PETRONAS Chemicals Sdn Bhd – the organizer and the sponsor of this contest.
So before you participate please think carefully and consider all aspects and the impacts. I never intend to discourage you from participating in the contest. The photos is yours and you have all the rights whether or not to participate and subject yourself to this type of terms and conditions. The decision is all yours.
Personally, in my humble opinion, I can still compromise if the organizer is a government body, NGO’s or non-profit organization who come up with the rules and regulations above. But for a profit-making private company such act is tantamount to unscrupulously collecting good pictures in large quantities at a very low cost.
I would like to suggest to BASF PETRONAS Chemicals Sdn Bhd that the rules and regulations be revised and improved to benefit photographers more if BASF PETRONAS Chemicals is really sincere in contributing to the development of photography in Malaysia.
It looks like BASF PETRONAS Chemicals should have a clear conscience first before deciding to award the photographers with Conscience Camera Award 2009.
