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Site NewsAugust 19th, 2009 4:14 pm
Photos of SEC events on blogs allowed?

Looks like blog photos of SEC events might just be OK. In an interview with The Buzz Manager Blog SEC Associate Commissioner of Media Relations Charles Bloom said the following:

• Q: Can you highlight the main components of the policy as it impacts social media? “The intent of the revised policy is not to inhibit social media inside our stadiums with the exception of trying to protect our video rights as they pertain to our television and media partners. Someone in the stadium can enter Twitter feeds or Facebook entries and photographs, but the game footage video is something we will try to protect.”

• Q: This isn’t just about football and basketball, it’s all SEC events and all sports. Is that correct? “All SEC events and all sports.”

• Q: If the intent is fans can’t commercialize from pictures they take in the stadium or tweets or the video they take around the stadium, does that affect a blogger who has advertising on their sites? “The intent is for someone not to create revenue from an entry with the sole purpose of duplicating what’s being done by the conference. If that passes the test, I don’t feel there will be any repercussions.”

UPDATE: More from Bloom in the New York Times:

“We want to protect our rights to have video between the conference and its members, and ban the commercial sale of photo images. Fans can post photos on their site or Facebook page, but they can’t be for sale.”