Furor was recently incited among Twitpic users when people started talking to one another about the site’s rules and regulations concerning the commercialization of uploaded pictures. One choice extract of Twitpic’s Terms of Service, before being summarily updated read:
You may not grant permission to photographic agencies, photographic libraries, media organizations, news organizations, entertainment organizations, media libraries, or media agencies to retrieve from Twitpic for distribution, license, or any other use, content you have uploaded to Twitpic.
As stated, the rules meant that users of Twitpic could not distribute or sell pictures they themselves had taken and shared with the world by using the free site. Unsurprisingly, it’s a business practice that is replicated by many of Twitpic’s industry-mates.
Because of the ensuing complaints and alarms raised, Twitpic saw fit to rearrange some of the terms’ wording. Another non-random extract from Twitpic’s Terms of Service is most currently reading:
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.
Twitpic rivals keeping to themselves the rights, without consent, for use and distribution of user-uploaded photos include Flickr, Instagram, Color, and yFrog.
Read More:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/11/twitpic-copyright_n_860554.html