When you interact with so many sites/services is it even worth using one like twitpic with this block of legal regarding photos you post via their service?
“…You retain all ownership rights to Content uploaded to Twitpic. However, by submitting Content to Twitpic, you hereby grant Twitpic a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicenseable and transferable license to use, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, display, and perform the Content in connection with the Service and Twitpic’s (and its successors’ and affiliates’) business, including without limitation for promoting and redistributing part or all of the Service (and derivative works thereof) in any media formats and through any media channels….”
IANAL but these clauses are ones that we see and deal with all of the time when licensing creative works. My layman’s read on this goes:
You own the picture you post, but you give twitpic the right to freely distribute, alter, show or trade any that you post. Also any affliate businesses can do the same. Twitpic can use or show or license your pics in any format (say on billboard for example) or any channel (maybe in a super bowl commercial?)
The Times review is a solid catch especially when Twitpic has a partner coming in, apparently to monetize some amount of their user’s pics.
NYT article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/23/technology/23terms.html?_r=1
direct link to twitpic legal: http://twitpic.com/terms.do
