Are these Film Contest terms normal?

[Les Wilson]

I'm looking at making a submission to a film contest sponsored by a large global corporation. In looking at the rules, I came upon these terms for all entrants (not just the winners):

By submitting your Submission, You irrevocably grant xxxxxxxx, its successors, subsidiaries, parent and related companies, licensees, assignees, and third parties acting on the xxxxxxxx's behalf, a perpetual, non-exclusive worldwide, royalty-free right and license to use, exhibit, license, sub-license, distribute, perform, post, display, copy, publish, promote, re-format, and exploit the Submission, for free or for a fee, in whole or in part, alone or in combination with other content or material, for any purpose whatsoever, in any and all media now known or in the future devised (including by way of example but in no way a limitation, the Internet, television, IPTV, home video/DVD, theatrical, mobile devices, and through any future means or methods of downloading and/or streaming now known or hereinafter devised).

Just by holding a contest, they acquire perpetual rights to all the competitor's media. Are these normal terms film festivals and contests?

[Rick L. Allen]

Unfortunately these sorts of rights grabs are more the norm than the exception now. Good thing you read the fine print. Don't do it!

[Dave Blackhurst]

Just a story on MSN today about a mother who did a shoot she "thought" was about breastfeeding (that was the original intent), but it got scraped by some porn sites and "misused"...

She has a suit filed against the original production comapany, it might be interesting to see how it plays out - these broad "disclaimers" (I like the term "rights grabs" better!) seem to border on voidable contracts since it's almost impossible to predict what will happen to the 1's and 0's down the road... but one more good reason to READ the contract, and if needed, just say NO!

[Paul R Johnson]

I find the 'forever, anywhere' rights in all sorts of things now - people are so keen to appropriate rights for no real purpose that they're becoming standard. Theatrical agents have been using this rights grab for years now - giving them access to their percentage even when they don't do a damn thing - now, because of the out-takes TV shows, you need these for everything if you want to keep your work under your own control.

Here in the UK, we have lots of satellite out-take/funny home video programmes - full of US coverage. I bet the people in them don't even know they are being shown around the other side of the world!