NICK: WE GOT IT SO WRONG!
Chief U-turn in licence row
ISTHMIAN LEAGUE chairman Nick Robinson says they will revisit photographer accreditation regulations after admitting they made a mistake with their initial proposal.
The league at Steps 3 and 4 contacted clubs this week with an application form introducing pitch side accreditation for photographers.
However, photographers were left stunned upon reading one of the requirements was to have a valid Public Liability Insurance policy of at least £10 million and learning the league held the copyright on all images taken at Isthmian League grounds with pictures needing written permission in order to be sold, which may only be granted if a fee was paid to the league.
The letter also stated applicants would be issued with an invoice for £18 plus VAT to cover the cost of the ID card and a League-issued Hi-Viz jacket.
The idea for Isthmian League accreditation stemmed from a photographer’s request for the league to help them gain access to clubs across the divisions, which at times could be difficult.
“It started off trying to help and it’s clearly backfired on me,” Robinson told The NLP. “It was all intended to be very positive. What went out on the letter should have been £18 including VAT (£15 + VAT) of which £5 was the cost of getting the Hi-Viz jacket.
“What we wanted to do was remind everybody that not only moving pictures but still pictures remained with us. That’s already in our articles.
Indefensible
“We don’t want to be inundated with 3,000 requests to agree photographs. What we want to do is if you have something amusing or whatever at your ground and it goes viral and you make a million pounds out of it, we may come along and say ‘excuse me we’ve got copyright on that, you owe us a fee for it’. I was merely putting it in to protect the Isthmian Football League. I have to take full blame for it, it came out wrong.
“The reason I put £10 million in is because our clubs have to have £10 million. I assumed that everybody else would have the same. I got that one wrong as well. You will need to have insurance but it will be £2 million which is what the National League ask for.
“It was badly worded and I take full responsibility for that. I can’t defend the indefensible, we got it wrong.
“We’ve sent out to our clubs that everything is withdrawn. It will go back to the board; we’re meeting on the 30th.
“I spoke with the National League as well and they have something in their handbook which says only photographers who have official National League photographic licenses will be permitted to take pictures at their matches. That will be the essence of what we will be doing.”
TGSPhoto owner and founder Gavin Ellis, who covers multiple matches for The NLP as well as numerous other media organisations, added: “Nobody minds licensing but what they announced was never going to be accepted by photographers and the reaction from professionals and amateur photographers alike showed the strength of our feelings.
“So it was great to see the league taking our concerns seriously and quickly agreeing to look again at the scheme.”
It was badly worded and I take full responsibility. I can't defend the indefensible, we got it wrong Nick Robinson