Carey expects united image

DJ CAREY believes that GAA players will present a more united stand against those illegally using their images for commercial interests.

The former player of the year welcomed the stance taken by Dublin, Kerry and Roscommon in not posing for team photographs. Carey said that the action of all such players in completely understandable, and not before time.

"As someone who is on the holiday funds committee with Kilkenny, I know the problems that occur because people have taken your image and put it on a calendar or a poster.

"You see these pictures coming out around All-Ireland time, from some companies that may be based in England, and we have never given permission for our images to be used.

"People are finding the pictures and putting them on calendars. And as myself and Ned Quinn, who works with me on the holiday funds, found out last year, we tried to sell official team photographs in the weeks leading up to the final and we just couldn't do it."

Carey and Quinn had set themselves a goal of selling 1,000 photographs to bulk up the holiday funds, but came nowhere near that target because of the amount of unlicensed products on the market.

"Everyone had already bought pictures and you can't blame the supporters. They just want a picture of the team."

Carey says that steps must be taken by all county players, whether involved in the GPA or not, to protect their image.

"Our image rights have got to be protected and I have to commend Dublin on leading the way in this regard. I can see many other teams doing it in the future."

However, he wouldn't be drawn on the approach Kilkenny hurlers will take when the NHL commences later this month. "It is an option but it is not something we have discussed."

Limerick are another county set to discuss their approach to a growing problem.

Last year, the Shannonsiders U-21 hurlers won their third consecutive All-Ireland title, a success which generated a lucrative souvenir industry, but neither players nor cash-hungry county board (about to embark on a huge development project at the Gaelic Grounds), saw any of the profits.

"It's not something we want to see happen again", a spokesman said yesterday, "and we will be discussing ways to try and prevent that in the future.

"We had people who had absolutely nothing to do with either the GAA or Limerick making big money on the achievements of the U-21 team, and that's not on."

Apart from the individual entrepreneurs, another area of concern for both players and county boards is newspapers' practice of producing team picture posters, which reduces potential revenue.

One option open to individual counties is to do what the likes of the provincial rugby teams and cross-channel soccer teams do take their own official team photo though, according to a Croke Park spokesperson, that is also problematic.

"There is no obligation on players to pose for a team photo 'til the finals. The real issue with the players is that a lot of unofficial sources are making money from unofficial pictures, and they're not happy with that.

"We would have a lot of sympathy with the players, but it's not as easy to protect your image rights as people seem to think.

"It's not a cut-and-dried matter, but we are trying to find some way to sort it out. Having the official crest on jerseys should make it a little easier to patrol, but this is one we are working closely on, and we will be tightening up.

"The only people who should be allowed take photographs on the field are those with the official photo passes, issued by Croke Park, but how do you police the guy in front seat?

"With photo technology having made such huge advances in recent years, you can get a good image from distance now, or you can go into one of the photo agency websites and lift a team photo.

"This is a very complex matter, one that will take careful consideration," a spokesman said.