Alaska and Horizon Airlines Photos on Anet

Johan posted something that I think everyone should read. I'm tempted to call for a boycott, at the least, I ask you all to keep this in mind when being a fan of either airline.

http://www.airliners.net/discussions/av ... in/272357/

Photographers,

I am sorry to say that Airliners.net has been contacted by Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air requesting that we remove all photos of their aircraft from our photo print sales section. I initially refused based on conclusions drawn in this discussion, but they then contacted Photobox, the UK based company that handles the printing and shipping for us and they were not as willing to fight this as I am.

Therefore, all photos showing an Alaska Airlines or Horizon Air aircraft have been removed from the print sales section.

It is very sad to see that some airlines have lawyers with so little real work to do that they can spend time attacking the aviation fans, who love the industry and the airlines. The little you might make from selling a print of a photo to another aviation enthusiast (a photo you shot and own the copyrights to!) is taken away by corporate lawyers paid by airlines who seemingly think paying these guys is a good investment for their money.

Does the airline management even know what their lawyers (Klarquist Sparkman LLC) are doing and what huge loss of goodwill in the aviation community this will cause them? Airliners.net is the biggest aviation site in the world with hundreds of thousands of daily visitors. I will make sure people know about this. I suggest you guys do the same. If you work for any of these airlines or know someone who does, please point their management to this thread. I'm at loss as to how someone could pay lawyers to work on issues like these, don't they have any real problems to attend to? After all the negativity the airline industry received after 9/11 with people fearing air travel or dreading it due to extreme and time consuming security checks, sites such as Airliners.net are helping to bring the positive excitement, magic and beauty back to the industry.


Regards,
Johan Lundgren
[email protected]

Johan is so very on-point with this. I couldn't have said it better myself.

That is a damn shame. I often wonder why the 'big guys' squander time like this. About a month ago when I was spotting at KABE, I was invited onto the ramp so I could take photos of a Citation Excel about to depart. Before the pilot boarded, he told me very sternly not to take any photos of the tail number, in case I decide to sell the photo to a magazine or something. I really don't get it. It could be my inexperience with the aviation industry, but it still doesn't make sense.

Did they send this to JP too?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by stuart schechter

Did they send this to JP too?

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Is there an easy way to purchase photos directly through JP.net? I just looked at one of my photos, and didn't see a link or anything that would let you purchase it through JP.net. These airlines are not objecting to the photos being on-line, only to the sale of them.

I'm not sure how I feel about this. I can see the airlines objecting to people making money by selling photos of their aircraft. Johan certainly doesn't have any problems with making money off photo sales. I do think his threat is a little silly - "...the biggest aviation site in the world...I will make sure people know about this." I'm sorry, but how many people are going to avoid flying Alaska or Horizon because they won't let a.net sell these photos?

I agree with you Moose. I don't think people, except for maybe HARDCORE aviation enthusiasts are going to avoid flying Alaska or Horizon, especially in this day in age where price is everything...

I don't understand why Alaska/Horizon doesn't want people selling pictures of their planes. The photos will be still available online for everyone to see. If anything, letting people sell the pictures might promote some good publicity for them, albeit in a minor way.

Legally, I don't even think Alaska/Horizon has a claim, except if the photos were taken on Alaska/Horizon property.
It's too bad the photo hosting company wouldn't stand up for it's customer, but I understand their reasoning on why they didn't...

Honestly what A.net charges for pics and what they give back is a total insult. Alaska is doing everyone a favor, if someone wants a print they'll have to email the photog directly and maybe the photog will make a decent amount from the sale.

Its kind of like free advertising for the airline. I think there should be no problem with it. I can see how the airlines think that the photogs. might be making money off of there name (Alaska Air), So I understand some of it.

I'm more angry at the photo printing company than at Alaska.

Also keep in mind that we are hearing one side of the story, only seeing Johan's post and not what Alaska said to him.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GothamSpotter

I'm more angry at the photo printing company than at Alaska.

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I am too, but I can understand why they caved in so easily... They probably had a team of lawyers contact them and threaten them with some type of lawsuit...

It was certainly an interesting thread - and I think DLX made a good case that Alaska Airlines is over-reaching in terms of print sales of aircraft images [coffee mugs & t-shirts etc. being a different issue] and I am glad Johan at least took a stand in principle.

flyboy - On the issue you raise, I agree with you such "requests" to not shoot certain aircraft is (generally) absurd - I've gottent that at airshows even. How silly. Of course, if you've been granted a courtesy to begin with in terms of access, it could/might be prudent to respect even unreasonable view points on occasion (case by case basis and all that...)

Tom