All I can think of legally is that it might possibly be considered an unfair contract. But it's perfectly legal to assign copyright to anyone and perfectly legal to ask for assignment, just dumb to agree, and companies that do so are taking advantage of starry-eyed ignorance. That is unethical and opportunist and you'd hope companies would ask themselves 'do we want to appear to our potential customers to be grasping rip-off merchants?'. Clearly a lot are perfectly happy to risk this whilst large numbers of entrants are willing victims.

©A admin

Are there no laws to prevent competitions from exploiting the entrants? I'm sure that if this was a phone-in competition on the telly, the motives would be investigated, these days!

I've emailed in too now, to express my disapproval.

I expect that the more of us do this, the better.

Ta

Jonathan S

There is a web link to canon and a telephone number for more information on the Canon 450D so I am not so sure that Canon are totally uninvolved with this competition.

I have just sent the following email using the contact address given on the site; gobeyond.com@redgroup.net. I invite others to do the same.

I refer you to clause nine of the terms and conditions of your Go Beyond Competition.

“All entries will become copyright of Land Rover…..”

No. No. No. No. No.

This is a blatant copyright grab and a cynical attempt to get marketing images for free; ripping off unsuspecting competition entrants and undermining professional photographers.

And you insist on stealing copyright of ALL images regardless of whether they win. Any entrant will be stripped of the right to make copies of their own images, or to enter them in any other competitions purely because they were sent to you for consideration. Words alone cannot express my anger that a multimillion pound company would stoop so low.

I will have nothing to do with a company that involves itself with such practice – and that includes buying your products.

I would love to be reassured that this is an oversight and that you intend to delete this clause. Are you able to give that reassurance and restore my faith in your company?

Sincerely