Give us your photos and abandon all your rights

Here is a recent invitation printed by the Boston Globe.

Send Us Woodstock Photos
By submitting your photo(s) to Boston.com, you agree that such photo(s) and the accompanying information will become the property of Boston.com and you grant Boston.com, The Boston Globe, Boston Metro and their sublicensees permission to publicly display, reproduce and use the videos in any form or media for any and (all editorial and related promotional purposes) purposes.. You also warrant that (i) the photo is your original work, or is properly licensed, and does not violate the copyright or any other personal or property right of any third party, and (ii) you have obtained any and all releases and permissions necessary for our intended use. Your submission also allows Boston.com to edit, crop or adjust the colors of the image(s) on an as needed basis.

Translation: give us your photos without any conditions; the photos will then become our property, not yours. You forfeit all rights and we can do whatever we please with them. While we cannot foresee all possible ways in which we might use these photos, whatever the use might be, you hereby certify that anyone appearing in the photo has granted you permission to use the photo in that way and you now transfer that right to the Globe.

Sadly, this tactic seems more and more common today. The implications for possible abuse, particularly on the internet, are astounding. This allows Boston.com to display your photo and print an insulting caption. This allows Boston.com to place your head on someone else's body. This allows Boston.com to sell your photo for a profit and give you nothing in return.

Just say no.