Nude photos copyright crackdown at Burning Man 2009

August 31, 2:52 PMSex & Relationships ExaminerSarah Estrella

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Today XBIZ.com is reporting on a new "personal use" agreement policy at Burning Man 2009 that will allow organizers to retain copyright for images taken at the festival.

A new Video/DV/Digital Cameral Personal Use Agreement was made public this week.

The policy, ostensibly designed to protect the artists and individuals participating in the private arts event (nude photos from the event have a tendency to pop all over the place each year), is under criticism because its heavy-handed application of copyright law runs contrary to the anarchic spirit of Burning Man (and because just everyone who isn't actually at Burning Man looks forward to seeing all the zany nude photos online) .

Via XBIZ.com:

BLACK ROCK DESERT, Nev. — Burning Man organizers say that because more photos of nude women are showing up on online adult websites, they are ready to expel any individual who takes photos and doesn’t sign a “personal use agreement.”

The new policy goes in effect today, the first day of Burning Man, and was crafted to allow the festival to hold the copyright for images that attendees post on any website operated by third parties.

The rules give organizers the ability to force websites — even Facebook — to remove images organizers don't approve of.

The policy says those who post photos from the event on a website controlled by a third party must agree to give organizers the copyright "so that Burning Man can enforce against the third party any restrictions concerning use of the images."

(Click through for full story, and for a pdf of the new Burning Man 2009 Video/DV/Digital Cameral Personal Use Agreement)