Question Re: Legal usage of nfl, nba, ncaa pics in websites

[Icy]

My question is mainly for those of you who write or own or know owners of sports blogs or news websites.

I'm thinking on starting a website about USA pro sports in Spanish language. There are only a few Spanish interested on them, but the number is growing so this could be a fun project to relax from my other websites work.

I wonder what are the copyright laws regarding using pics from NFL/NBA/NHL/MLB/NCAA official websites, or using pics for those sports but taken by professional or amateur photographers (paying them for the rights if needed).

How are all the blogs and news websites handling it? (outside the big ones like ESPN etc that have their own photographers).

I know a lot of them just take the pics and use them, but i'm looking into the legal ways to avoid problems.

Any advice both here or by PM or even AIM/MSN/Yahoo is welcome :)

[Draft Dodger]

I generally avoid using photos because I didn't want to figure this out, to be honest. I do see a TON of blogs that do use them, though.

[rkmsuf]

As long as the pictures are in Spanish I think you are ok.

[SnDvls]

I believe as long as you are giving proper credit to the original and not earning any money off them or the site, and if a request is made to remove them you should be okay.....again a lot of hoops in some cases.

Or you could just post the links to the original picture too.

But you might want to check with the originator too...AP ect.

[Mr. Wednesday]

Strictly speaking, you would need express consent in order to reproduce images. Practically speaking, I'm not sure how vigilant the originating organizations are about protecting their copyrights.

[Vinatieri for Prez]

I believe once photographers are allowed by a pro sports league to be in a venue and take pictures, they have consented to their use in some format (like a newspaper). Then, I'd imagine there's some for-fee photography pool (freelancers I think) you could be a member of where you could select from photos to use, giving credit to the photographer of course. I also think many freelance sports photographers sell such photos right off their own website. Similarly, I think newspapers will sell you their photos for use.

[ThunderingHERD]

Technically, you would need the copyright holder's (photographer, agency, etc.) permission. Practically, no one enforces this, at least not on editorial sites. Even large, commercial blogs (e.g. the Gawker Media sites) routinely reproduce photos.