Any photographer attending a Lady Gaga concert will now have to sign a form giving away all future rights and more importantly signing away their copyright. If they don’t they will be refused a pass to her concert. Article here…….

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/photographers-respond-to-lady-gagas-new-copyright-demands-20110307

This practice by certain artists has been going on for a few years. Back in 2004, during the early days of Amy Winehouse’s career, I was asked to sign a form whereby the images I took had to be approved by her management before the agency I was selling through could distribute them. One universal look of anger and disaproval on the waiting photographer’s faces was enough to send her agent back into her dressing room with a very red face . We took a stand and the artist’s management backed down.

Unfortunately, these practices now are far more common with artists wishing to control their image in the media.

Just for the record, I will never sign away my copyright.