To protect the work of our photographers and ensure proper photo usage, the following policy applies to all IDC event photography.
Event Coverage & Photography
IDC Photographers are credentialed members of the media at figure skating competitions, ice shows and other events and operate under the rules and parameters associated with each credential.
Photographs published on ice-dance.com, including those featured in editorial galleries, are copyrighted works owned by their respective photographers. Images may not be reproduced, copied, altered, distributed, published or otherwise used in any form without the express written permission of both the photographer and Ice-dance.com
This includes, but is not limited to use on any other social media accounts (other than outlined below), websites, professional or personal blogs/Tumblrs, in magazines and newspapers (both online and paper format) and/or promotional materials for shows or events.
Ice-dance.com does not sell action photos to skaters & families when an official event photographer is present. To purchase photos from most competitions, please contact the official photographer.
Request for Use of Photographs
If you are an athlete, sponsor, agent, federation, club, event organizer, magazine, newspaper, brand or other organization who would like to use a photo that appears on IDC on another website or social media account, in a magazine or newspaper (both online and paper format), or in promotional materials, please contact IDC (idcomstaff@gmail.com) for permission/licensing.
Requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
IDC and its photographers retain the right to deny the use, reproduction, and dissemination of its copyrighted photographs.
Social Media Use
Athletes may post IDC-watermarked event photos only on their personal or official social media accounts, provided that:
- The IDC watermark remains fully intact and visible.
- Ice-dance.com (IDC) is tagged in the post whenever the platform allows tagging.
- The image is not altered in a way that removes, obscures, covers or changes the IDC watermark. This includes removing or altering the watermark through cropping, Photoshop, content-aware fill, generative fill, object removal, filters, editing applications or any other method.
Standard non-generative editing necessary for social media presentation, such as reasonable resizing or adjustments that do not remove or obscure the watermark, is permitted. However, IDC photographs should not be manipulated in a way that materially changes the original image or misrepresents the photographer’s work.
IDC-watermarked event photos may not be used by third parties, figure skating content creators and/or influencers, sponsors, brands, federations, clubs, events or other organizations without prior permission from both IDC and the photographer.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use
Uploading, submitting or importing IDC photos into generative AI platforms, AI image generators or AI-powered content creation tools is strictly prohibited.
This includes using IDC photography:
- As a reference or source image for AI-generated graphics, advertisements, posters, social media graphics or other promotional content.
- To generate new images, backgrounds, composites or variations based on an IDC photograph.
- With generative fill, AI expansion, AI replacement or similar tools that substantially create or reconstruct portions of the photograph.
- To create AI-generated likenesses, avatars or representations of an athlete based on an IDC photograph.
- As training, reference or input material for an AI model, image generator or other machine-learning system.
- In an AI platform for the purpose of removing, replacing, recreating or obscuring the IDC watermark.
Uploading an IDC photograph to an AI service may provide the image to a third-party system and can create additional versions or derivative content outside of IDC’s control. For that reason, permission to share an IDC photograph on social media does not constitute permission to submit that photograph to an AI platform.
Standard non-generative editing necessary for social media presentation, such as reasonable resizing or adjustments that do not remove or obscure the watermark, is permitted. However, IDC photographs should not be manipulated in a way that materially changes the original image or misrepresents the photographer’s work.