November 23, 2007
The Illinois High School Association today denied photo passes to several newspapers covering the IHSA Football State Finals after those papers refused to adhere to the IHSA’s policy regarding the sale of photographs taken at IHSA events. The denial of photo passes did not prohibit these newspapers from covering today's state championship games. Earlier this month the Illinois Press Association and two newspapers sued the Association over the IHSA policy. Following the Court's decision not to grant the IPA a temporary restraining order, the IPA and the two newspapers who were party to the suit asked the Court to withdraw their request for a preliminary injunction.
“While the Illinois Press Association has indicated its willingness to compromise on this matter, its actions have spoken much louder than its words,” said IHSA Executive Director Marty Hickman. "We asked the IPA to have its members refrain from selling photos of our events while we continued to work to resolve this issue. We presented the IPA with a proposal nearly two weeks ago and they have yet to respond. The IHSA has made a good faith effort to resolve this matter, but the negotiation process cannot be one-sided.”
In a letter to the Illinois Press Association, the IHSA’s Executive Director indicated that newspapers could give photos to anyone in their communities, provided the photos were used for personal rather than commercial use. The IHSA also indicated that photo galleries on newspaper Web sites could contain an unlimited number of photos from IHSA events. “If the newspapers are interested in providing a community service, the opportunity clearly exists," Hickman said. "It has become abundantly clear, however, that some members of the Illinois Press Association are more interested in the commercial photography business.”
The IHSA’s policy regarding the sale of photos taken at its events is virtually identical to the policy in place at Illinois State University, the University of Illinois and the Big Ten. To date, it does not appear that the Illinois Press Association has filed a lawsuit against any other entity with a policy similar to that of the Illinois High School Association.