Looking for FREE NASCAR/ CART pix

[Graham]

Hi,

You know how my pix are free to use by anyone? Well, I need some NASCAR and CART racing pix that I can use under the same conditions. Good to high quality if possible.

If anyone knows of a site, I'd be grateful.


Cheers.

[KC]

Hi Graham,

The most extensive database of CART photos I know of are at http://www.indyphoto.com . Another place you might try are at http://www.photopoint.com, most of these are taken by enthusiasts and there are tons of NASCAR related pics there. I cannot however vouch for the quality.

Hope this helps.

[Graham]

Cheers, but prob is the Indyphoto site contains mostly pro photography and hence copyrighted.

If anyone has any pix of their own I can use ...?

[KC]

You are more than welcome to use any or all of the photos I took at Houston last year. The quality is not that good but feel free to use them. They are all at Photopoint.

[fatbloke]

What do you need them for Graham ?

[Graham]

I'm designing a website and need some imagery - the business sells setup products to NASCAR, CART and GT teams. It seems the photography side of NASCAR is monopolised by them so it is very hard finding pix that I can use without paying stupidly extravagant prices. And most photographers of NASCAR and CART are only allowed to sell pix to news/ media because NASCAR has its head up its own arse.

[fatbloke]

Oh, I see. Are they paying you well for this ere website then ?

[KC]

Both CART and NASCAR have taken over the copyright issues for their series, the imagery of their series and associated written work. CART has stated to the press that while even images of the cars at the track are considered their property they are not going to enforce the copyright rules unless there are gross violations. NASCAR is another story. They have even gone to the point to attempt to censor articles that place them in a bad light. While they have had little success with this, they do exercise their license on all images of NASCAR and everything must be approved by them. Much like Bernie going after anyone using the terminology typically associated with Formula 1.

[Graham]

So why has America allowed such obvious profiteering and monopolisation? Why isn't your equivalent of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission looking into it? I trust you have one?

[KC]

The teams and owners of the teams sign over the rights for photography and written media in the name of advertising to their respective series. The Federal Trade Commission allows this because they view the various series as franchise operations. They are all smaller entities working in conjunction to form aone larger company. Same as F1 does. They all sign the Concorde Agreement so they can get paid for TV and sign away their rights to Bernie for the priviledge. CART actually sells franchises to any team owner and that gives the owner a seat on the Board of Directors and the ability to vote on the direction of the series. NASCAR does not sell franchises but it is run much the same way, but no one gets to vote on anything.