[rodder36]

I was just in my local walmart and stumbled across what i thought was a new rodder magazine. Its called American Street Rodder. I quickly browsed the magazine and was astonished to discover that over half of the articles and pictures in the magazine were taken by ME. I was released from my contract from Northern Rodder Magazine due to what i thought was downsizing. Turns out they took my work used it another title and company name. And to top it off i never even received my last paycheck from them. How lame is that. The new owners from what i heard... quickly closed the old office released half the staff and have moved to a new location. I haved been able to get anyone to return any of my calls or faxes. Just thought id give everyone a heads up. If this is how they treat the people that worked to produce thier product... id hate to see how they treat a subscriber.

 

[poncho62]

Sounds like a rotten deal..........................they must have a contract to do that....or do they

 

[powerrodsmike]

Welcome to the site :welcome:

Walmart treats thier employees much the same way. They still have customers.

Who publishes those 2 magazines? (Dewey,Cheatham and Howe? )
Did you have a contract that specified where your pics would be used?
Hopefully you managed to make many contacts through your association with them that will benefit you in your street rod parts store.
I don't suscribe to any magazines right now, there is too much advertising posing as tech articles.

Later, mikey

 

[home brew]

What rights did you give to Northern Rodder? First North American? I hope you didn't give them all rights. Did you copyright your article and pictures?

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[rodder36]

Unfortuniately for me i never copy righted any of my work so guess they can do with it what ever they chose. This was a family run business when i started with them. but had several less then upstanding partners come and go over the years. guess i will cut my losses and forget about it all.

Thanks for all the replys. just warning others before they get involved with them as well, or subscribe. The company is Steadfast Publications.

 

[MARTINSR]

I understand what a bummer this is, but IS it really "wrong"? If you were an "employee" of theirs, then the photos you created while a "representative" of the company are THEIRS.

Brian

 

[Jon]

The "rights" surrounding the articles and pictures are subject to the vagaries of the situation. The magazine may have been perfectly justified in reproducing your work, or they may be acting illegally. Understanding the nature of your relationship with them would probably help to clarify that.

Keep in mind that the notion that you must "copyright" your work in order for it to be "protected" is incorrect. Copyright typically applies automatically, you don't need to do anything to "activate" it. More info: copyright myths.

There are a few magazines that garner varying degrees of respect around here. In online automotive culture, the vast majority of mags are generally regarded as useless.

There is a member on here named grouch, who is very knowledgeable about intellectual property laws -- he might be able to offer some perspective.

 

[Rambo_The_Dog]

The "rights" surrounding the articles and pictures are subject to the vagaries of the situation. The magazine may have been perfectly justified in reproducing your work, or they may be acting illegally. Understanding the nature of your relationship with them would probably help to clarify that.

Keep in mind that the notion that you must "copyright" your work in order for it to be "protected" is incorrect. Copyright typically applies automatically, you don't need to do anything to "activate" it. More info: copyright myths.

There are a few magazines that garner varying degrees of respect around here. In online automotive culture, the vast majority of mags are generally regarded as useless.

There is a member on here named grouch, who is very knowledgeable about intellectual property laws -- he might be able to offer some perspective.

Jons provided some great information there. I'd just add that unless you signed a release the use of the pictures alone is a copyright violation, let alone if they used or plagerized any articles you may have written.

I'm not so sure I would casually blow it off If I was in your shoes...I'd say a couple hundered bucks to talk with a good attorney would be money well spent...

Good Luck!

 

[Trucknut]

Being a published writer myself, I can assure you that when you write something you own it. This applies to pictures also. There was a time when you had to register your copyright. The law has changed. You can be sure that if I found something of mine published without my express written permission, I would go after them. Especially if it was published for profit!

Chris

 

[home brew]

I wrote for several non automotive magazines, film and TV producers and the internet over the years. You do own the rights to all of your work including the photos. That is unless you signed a contract that gave the publisher those rights. Over the years many publishers tried to get me to give them "all rights" to my work. Unless I didn't see any other use of my work (eg. promo piece about a company president for a company magazine0 I would not give up all my rights. Usually I would only give "first rights" to a particular market (First North American Rights). This way I could resell that story and photos to another magazine and give them "second rights" and so on. In the last 10 years or so many magazines would try to get "all rights" especially when you wrote for them for the first time. They hoped that you would give them up just to get a job with them. They could then place it on their website and sell it to whomever they could without additional payment to the writer. If you gave up your rights to them in the contract you signed you will have no recourse to further payment. If you did not give up those rights get yourself a lawyer.

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[MARTINSR]

Is this true even when you post it on a forum that states "Anything posted becomes property of XYZ site"?

Brian

 

[home brew]

Yes, as the actual posting is giving them consent to use what you have posted in any way they wish.

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[shortyforty]

First real post here.

The company I work for has you sign an agreement to work there, and in that agreement is a statement that says anything that you invent and patent, whether at work or in your own home, is their property. I know a guy who left the company to go through the process to copyright his invention, then afterwards got rehired back later.

 

[Bad Rat 2]

I just yesterday noticed this new rod magazine , and bought it,, it was American street rod.. I look at magazines every time I go to a store,,, this is the first time I have noticed this one,, maybe they are just coning to the northwest,, owned by Steadfast publications home office in Gadsden Al. editor is Chuck Belew
some nice pictures and a little different layout than the other mags,, everything was from the east coast,, nice variety of cars.... Bill

 

[home brew]

I just bought it up here. No tech articles just events and cars - including a 29 Nash. The reson I bought it. I like mags with a lot of tech as well as car features. Probably wouldn't buy this one again.

rodder36 - can you give us an update on what you have found out.

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[Bad Rat 2]

Probably wouldn't buy this one again.


Me either.. I liked that nash ,, because of the nash metro I am building,, :thumbup: bill

 

[home brew]

Take a look at the pic cboy posted of a nash metro here:

http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/model-t-snowmobiles-107504.html

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[Dutchman]

rodder36,

Are you a member of the PPA? I would check out all the options and get some good advice from these folks, http://www.ppa.com

Dutch