If you're a photographer and you're covering a Taylor Swift event, your camera may be at risk of destruction.. from Taylor's team! Last Sunday, UK-based photographer Jason Sheldon
wrote an open letter to Taylor Swift's rant against Apple on compensating artists fairly.
In the letter, Sheldon pointed out and labeled her as a hypocrite and alleged that her team's aggressive contracts were just as bad, because they had the rights to take photos away from photographers who take her picture, making her no different than Apple.
While Sheldon's contract was a little outdated, fellow UK freelance photographer Joel Goodman decided to tweet a copy of an updated one.
Turns out, it was worse, and this one is for Swift's latest 1989 World Tour.
Here are some damaging excerpts from the contract:
“If you fail to fully comply with this Authorization, authorized agents of FEI, the Artist or the Related Entities may confiscate and/or destroy the technology or devices that contain the master files of the Photographs and other images, including, but not limited to, cell phones and memory cards, and the Photographs and any other images.”
According to Goodman who told Peta Pixel:
“This contract is particularly egregious in that it not only contains an all out rights grab on the photographers’ work, whilst limiting their editorial control and ability to earn from that work — and does so without compensation — but because it does so under threat of criminal damage or destruction of property.”
Hmm...double standard much, Taylor?