Olympic officials have woken up to the real online world and admitted that their ban on spectators posting videos and images on websites will be unenforceable.
In the terms and conditions of ticket purchases for the London 2012 Games it states ticket holders cannot publish images, video or sound online.
Yesterday however, Sir Keith Mills, deputy chairman of organisers Locog, said “we live in an Internet world… and there’s not much we can do about it”.
He said a “common sense approach” would be used to protect media rights.
Compounding the official stupidity spectators will be able to watch many events including the cycle road races, triathlon, marathon and sailing events- without buying a ticket and incurring any copyright red tape.
Sire Keith Mills said: “Media rights are sold – can we police everything these days? Absolutely not, the Internet has changed the world and we’re not going to be silly.
“But the reality is that we live in an internet world where Facebook downloads and uploads are happening every day of the week and there’s not much we can do about it.”
The Locog ticket guidelines state: “Images, video and sound recordings of the Games taken by a Ticket Holder cannot be used for any purpose other than for private and domestic purposes and a Ticket Holder may not license, broadcast or publish video and/or sound recordings, including on social networking websites and the Internet more generally.”
Whilst image holders undoubtedly have copyright rights- a common sense approach applies to all online pictures and videos.
For example the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s Secretary Joanne Saintclair-Abbott regularly sends out Recorded Delivery letters to website owners who display the CIM’s logo- even to their paid up Members.
Yet in March 2010 there were 500,000 CIM logos listed by Google. In Feb 2011 that number had grown to 1,500,000 CIM logos listed on Google 21 and by Oct 2011 there were 34,300,000 CIM logos listed on Google.
King Canute would be proud of the Ms Saintclair- Abbott. At least Sir Keith Mills demonstrates some common sense.