Suicide Girls would be Suicide

[mbarrick]

While working my photo-booth at the last Sin City I was asked about shooting for Suicide Girls. Being aware of Lithiumpicnic's legal troubles with SG, and just plain being a stickler for knowing what I am getting into (just last week, for example, I found myself in a room with four people staring at me impatiently while I read every word of a contract, twice, before signing it) I was reading the photographers release contract for SG.

The Jesus-Fuck-I-Wouldn't-Touch-That-With-A-3.048m-Pole clause, similar to what has Lithiumpicnic in trouble from his contract, is the non-competition clause.

8. Non-Competition. Photographer agrees that for two (2) years after the full execution of this Assignment, Photographer will not directly or indirectly: (i) sell or otherwise provide Internet, photographic, video, film, audio, text, design, artistic or other creative content to any “SG Competitor”; or (ii) own, manage, operate, join, control, finance or participate in the ownership, management, operation, control or financing of, or be connected as an officer, director, employee, partner, member, principal, agent, representative, consultant or otherwise, to any “SG Competitor”. “SG Competitor” means any person, entity or organization other than SG that competes with SG, including but not limited to any person, entity or organization that creates, develops, manufactures, produces, distributes, markets, licenses or sells events, products or services that compete with SG.

Should, for example, at some point in the next two years Gothic BC or any of my other sites be deemed an "SG Competitor" I'd be screwed. If I shot for any other site I'd be screwed. If I so much as provided my professional services as a photographer, artist, programmer or consultant (how I make my living!) to any entity that happens produce any kind of material that competes with SG, even if my work is not directly related to the competing products, I'd be liable.

And for what? SG pays $500 USD (now worth only $471.97 CAD) per set. Split with the model I'd have about $235 taxable dollars in my pocket. In return they have me by the short-hairs for two years. How not worth it is that?

With this non-competition clause, no sane professional photographer would have anything to do with SG.