Blurred Keys

With the advent of social networking and photo-sharing websites, the question of what to do if a newspaper uses your content without permission is becoming a more frequent one (boards.ie, YourTechStuff.com, al et). Here's what you can do:

First, to explain: All content is copyrighted once you take a photograph, write a blog post etc. So, you own the copyright to photos you take, the videos you record, and the text you write. Nobody is allowed to use your content with out your permission. You do not need to register or do anything along those lines.

If a newspaper uses your image you have a number of options, including:

• GET THEM TO PAY YOU: Ring them up and ask for the picture desk. Ask what they pay for images of the same size and placement as they used your photo, then send them a bill. We've written about this before, at least some will pay. You may even want to try to charge over their standard rates — its up to you. If they pay you, this would likely exclude you from using both of the below options.
• COMPLAIN TO THE PRESS OMBUDSMAN: The Ombudsman has previously told this site that plagiarism is covered under Principle 3 - Fairness and Honesty of the Code of Conduct which all national newspapers and most local papers subscribe to. You'll need to contact the newspaper to complain first, it is explained how to make a complaint on the website of the Press Ombudsman.
• CONTACT A LAWYER: Taking a court case for a breach of copyright would likely be unrealistic, unless you have just won the lotto and want an inventive way to spend your money. And while a letter from a lawyer should be taken more serious by newspapers, it will cost you too, unlike the options above. According to the Press Ombudsman's website, it is not advisable to engage the services of a solicitor before/while making a complaint as the newspaper will also engage its legal advisers, which will most likely take the issue out of the hands of the editor.

For written content, complaining to the Press Ombudsman is the most realistic option as this will be more highly contested by newspapers, or ignored if you simply ask them for payment.

A crime of blasphemous libel is to be proposed in an amendment to the Defamation Bill, the Irish Times reports today:

Irish editions of UK tabloids can be quite different. In a quite substantial example of this, Ben Goldacre, writer of the Guardian's Bad Science articles, has caught the Daily Mail out on the issue of the cervical cancer vaccine.

In the London edition it's scare headlines, as Goldacre writes:

And it the Irish edition it's used to bash the government:

[via boards.ie]

The word 'bloodbath' used in two headlines on newspaper front pages: In the Irish Daily Mail it refers to a story which says over 700 nurses will lose their jobs. The Irish Daily Mirror has quite different news values — their "bloodbath" was the news RTE will not recommission, the only focus is on the two "stars" who will lose their jobs.

Another "star" who has quit TV3 is also somehow included in the "bloodbath." In fairness to the Mirror, other tabloids also cover the same story, but two stars losing their jobs and another quitting is hardly a 'bloodbath'… and should we even be expecting more from an English paper with little more than an Irish wraparound? [Via Today FM]

CORRECTION: Irish TV Production of the year was awarded to Caoimhin
O Cuinn from NUIG, and not of Griffith College Dublin as first stated. This also changes
the listed amount each college won.

Trinity College Dublin won eight of 31 categorises at the Irish Student Media Awards / Smedias last night at the Mansion House in Dublin, including the top awards of editor and newspaper of the year.

In terms of crude numbers, Trinity’s win compares to four for UCD — The two largest third level colleges in Ireland typically take home the most wins. Trinity managed to out do the DCU which has a large communication and journalism focused school, the north side university only managed to take away three awards. NUI Galway and DIT both picked up four wins.

The other winners included: Griffith (2), Ballyfermot College of Further Education (2), Institute of Art Design and Technology (1) Letterkenny Institute of Technology (1), and Queens University Belfast (1).

Also of note, the winners were heavily male-dominated with few of the 31 awards going to female students.

PDFs of the People's choice award can be found here, while all the nominations can be views here, and the category description along with the previous winners here. A full list of winners are as follows:

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