Coaster Photos/Posters Question

Shortly after Cedar Point opens next Saturday for the season, I plan to sell Cedar Point posters over the internet, for about $8. It's $.29 a print, then maybe $2 to blow it up, at $1 for shipping, and that's roughly $5 profit for each poster.

So here's my question: is this legal? If I take a picture at the park, am I allowed to sell it for profit?

Thank you very much in advance.

I would think that this is not legal if you do not have the park's permission. You can take pics, just can't profit off of them.

Quick question: Where are you "blowing up" a picture to poster size for just 2 bucks? That seems very cheap. I had an 8X10 blown up to not even full poster size at Wal-Mart and it costed me a lot more than that. (maybe I got rooked I dunno)

As far as the "legality", your best bet would be to call CP and find out. In my mind I wouldn't think it would be illegal to sell pictures of things like that but stranger rules have applied.

Not trying to be hateful or ugly here but a quick tip, if your gonna go into a business like that, great and good luck but maybe you shouldn't "broadcast" your profit. Personally, if you would have linked us to a site where we could purchase these without knowing the total breakdown of costs involved or how much your making off each one, it wouldn't seem like we're(the potential customer) getting a raw deal. But even when(if) you do start selling these, I'll for sure give it a serious look. I'd love to have some high quality pictures of CP hanging around.

I don't know how many lawyers frequent this site, but that is where i would go for this answer. My guess is that if Cedar Point will allow you to do this then they will expect a royalty. Which will of course cut into your tidy little profit.

Where have you looked?

The short answer is no.

It is illegal. It is just like downloading music off the internet and burning them to a CD and selling them for half price of the regular CD. But other people have made Coaster videos and tried to sell them, so I dunno, I would just ask the park for permission.

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Kyle Fobe said:
It is illegal. It is just like downloading music off the internet and burning them to a CD and selling them for half price of the regular CD.

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How is it anything even similar to that? It's not like I'm stealing Cedar Point merchandise and then selling it for less. I would be selling my own pictures, that I took with my own camera, when I've paid full price to get into the park

*** Edited 5/2/2004 8:22:00 PM UTC by Top Thrill Dragster***

Okay, let's try a different analogy... By your rationale, bringing a camcorder into a movie theater and recording a new movie, and then selling homemade DVDs would be perfectly legal. After all, you paid for your admission into the theater, it's your camera, your media, etc.?

Obviously that is not acceptable nor legal.

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Kevin Knapp, Colorado Springs, kknappcyclone@aceonline.org
Remove "cyclone" from e-mail address to reply

the difference is you dont have to enter (pay) cedar point to see the coasters- you can see them outside of the park no problem. a movie you cannot. either way though, you should clear it with CP

Photos taken from private property (i.e., in the park) would require a property release from the park if you intend to distribute them for anything other than personal use. Ask Mamoosh about this, because I assume he went through this with his greeting cards.

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Kevin Knapp said:
Okay, let's try a different analogy... By your rationale, bringing a camcorder into a movie theater and recording a new movie, and then selling homemade DVDs would be perfectly legal. After all, you paid for your admission into the theater, it's your camera, your media, etc.?

Obviously that is not acceptable nor legal.

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Kevin Knapp, Colorado Springs, kknappcyclone@aceonline.org
Remove "cyclone" from e-mail address to reply

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Movies have laws saying that you cannot reproduce it in any way, shape or form. Roller Coasters do not have warnings on them saying that you can't take a picture and sell it.

EDIT: Here's something I just thought of. Absolutely Reliable selling the shirt with the webcam pic of the guy peeing on TTD:

http://www.cafeshops.com/arnr.3972284

Now, that can't be legal, he didn't take the picture! *** Edited 5/2/2004 9:13:12 PM UTC by Top Thrill Dragster***

It's a poor analogy, CP Nut, but my mention of having a property release holds true.

I wasn't really trying to make an analogy, I was just bringing up another situation.

Also, could you describe further what exactly a property release is?

A piece of paper from the park giving you legal rights to sell the image of their coaster/ride/show/property.

Just don't do it (selling your stuff for profit) without permission. If the park refuses then please respect that. You will get into trouble eventually. It's just not worth it.

If you plan on selling your posters for $8 you will be losing money. The cheapest price I have seen is $7, and that is just for an 11X17 on photo paper. A 20X30 will run you at least $14-$15 at the lowest.

-Tina

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Top Thrill Dragster said:

Also, could you describe further what exactly a property release is?

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Dude, you're clearly in over your head.

You would also need to get model releases from anyone that may end up in the picture. Seriously. At the college (where I teach) we have stacks of model releases for anyone who may be in attendance at one of our events where marketing may be taking pics.

There have been instances where folks have sued to get their images removed from magazines, ads, galleries, etc.

As a side note, if you are taking your own pics that happen to include CP architecture, rides, etc. that is fine. Just make sure to remove any CP logos, ads, etc. that may be in the picture. Also, I would refrain from marketing them as CP Pics, and come up with another descriptor. "My amusement park pics" etc.

And...
Jeff Daniels (alleged actor) lives near my town here in MI and filmed a movie here a few summers ago. He and his crew were downright insane with where folks could take pics, etc. They roped off huge areas of the town, etc. and utilized vast numbers of extras but yet you couldn't take pics ANYWHERE near the filming, even if it was in your front yard, or included your precious grand-daughter.

There were large signs EVERYWHERE that said "this area was the "creative property" of Purple Rose Inc. and blah, blah, blah." I think that they went way overboard with that. I have been in NYC and have walked right up to Sex in the City being taped and shot pic after pic without a peep.

They were downright Nazi-esque (or Ashcroft-esque, whatever, they're the same) about their enforcement, and actually confiscated cameras, etc.

By the way, the film, "SuperSucker" lives up to its title. Avoid at all costs.

I sold calendars late last year, just of Australian theme parks and coasters etc. I contacted every park where possible (i.e. one was a travelling coaster, where it would be difficult to get into contact with them, let alone a decent response). I waited for responses - some parks didn't get back to me while others did and allowed me to use the photographs I had taken, after signing the various paperwork.

There were no royalties paid (even if the parks wanted this, based on the profit margins etc., they might have been entitled to a total of $5 for all the calendars I sold :)), as I'm sure they justified it as marketing and did it as an act of goodwill.

This all sounds pretty dodgy to me, but if this is a legit sort of thing, not a fourteen-year-old's summer holiday get-rich scheme that'll be dead before tomorrow morning, then contact the park from before you begin, even if you plan to keep it small. If you get big and you're doing it behind their back, I think you'll have some angry chaps with law school diplomas to deal with before too long. I'd say if Cedar Point did let you, you'll probably be allowed to do it without paying them, but that doesn't mean you don't need to complete the legalities first.

It was too much bother to do again, how I went about it anyway - I'd go straight through CafePress if I were to do it again this year, without having to handle the orders and shipping, even if the profits aren't as nice. :)