FAQ

An institution held a novel, prose, and photography competition and the prize has been distributed. Should the institution pay for remuneration when using the works to edit a book?

Holding a novel, prose, and photography competition and prize is the nature of the reward, and has nothing to do with the copyright. If the organizer didn’t stipulate that the copyright of competition works belongs to the organizer in the competition method, and didn’t agree clearly with each contestant about transferring the copyright of the work to the organizer, too. The copyright owner did not authorize the organizer to reproduce the competition's work and didn’t agree clearly about the prize as the remuneration for reproduction. The fact that “the prize has been distributed” cannot be considered owning the copyright or being authorized.

Therefore, the organizer should obtain the copyright owner's agreement, when using the competition works to edit a book. As for the remuneration, negotiate with each party. If the copyright owner agrees that the organizer use the work for free is also allowed.