Taylor Swift Allowed To ‘Injure Photographers’ According To Contract?

Back in June, Taylor Swift wrote an open announcement to Apple that she would hold back her hit 1989 album from being sold via the company’s new streaming service, stating that “Apple Music plans to forego royalty payments to writers, artists and producers during the three-month trial window when customers who sign up for the service can use it for free.”

USA Today relayed that the superstar took to Tumblr to explain her decision candidly. Within the statement, Taylor was sure to express her surprise at the company, which she has fully supported until this point.

“I find it to be shocking, disappointing, and completely unlike this historically progressive and generous company.”

However, demands by Swift in regards to her own contract are being questioned since the stipulations within the documents were brought to light by the Montreal Gazette. Mainly, a portion of Swift’s contract that outlined guidelines in regards to photographers is what has people a bit thrown by the usual do-gooder, who just gave $50,000 to a youngster diagnosed with Leukemia.

The Montreal Gazette released a photo of the contract. Have a look at the dense and wordy document.

Gawker sarcastically sums up the lengthy document into point form, which is “helpful” in determining what it is that Swift expected from photographers at a recent Montreal show.

“In short, Taylor Swift asks photographers who cover her shows to agree to the following conditions:

• Photos taken during the concert can only be published once and then deleted
• She can use the photos you took, forever, anywhere, for free, to promote herself
• Taylor Swift and her team have the right to “confiscate and/or destroy” your photos and photographic equipment (cameras, memory cards, etc.) for any reason at any point during the show, without compensation
• You may be injured by Taylor Swift or her team without warning or compensation. Watch out!”

It seems a tad bit extreme to call Ms. Swift out as someone who is capable of injury, however. She has shown her determination over the years to become not only an iconic pop and country princess, but has also demonstrated how to be moralistic and unaffected by what naysayers verbally hurl her way. The young woman has reached out and loaned a hand to fans on a number of occasions, and when it comes to her open letter to Apple, her grievances are understandable. Yes, she is filthy rich with the world at her fingertips, but she is still an artist who deserves compensation for the music she creates. And let’s face it, run-ins with paparazzi must certainly be behind such strict clauses in the singer’s contract. Perhaps Taylor should, however, be a tad bit more lenient to her fellow artists of the photography world.

[Photo by Shirlaine Forrest/Getty Images for TAS]