Media Use License

The purpose of this guide is to help everyone in the weightlifting ecosystem to easily make sense of photo and media use, balancing the needs of governing bodies and their sponsors, athletes and their individual sponsors, news and editorial media, and the livelihoods of photographers and videographers.

The quick and dirty version:

  • LiftingLife was created by weightlifters to help all weightlifters have access to inexpensive photos they can use for whatever they want, and to help grow our sport through more, higher quality media and sponsorships.
  • Athletes have our blessing to do practically anything they want with their photos.
  • Editorial use including news and media have our permission to use purchased photos any medium without any royalties. Thank you for promoting our sport! Please credit both LiftingLife and the photographer. It means a lot to us!
  • Businesses can use our photos for commercial/promotional purposes if they obtain permission from all three parties: LiftingLife, USA Weightlifting, and the athlete. The process is easy, simply contact us.

Details and examples:

For Athletes

Generally speaking, athletes can do almost anything they want with their own photos. Below are a few frequently asked questions that we receive regarding our photo use policy, USA Weightlifting's photo use policy, and athlete use. If you have a use case that doesn't fall into any of the below examples, absolutely feel free to contact us at support@lifting.life.

Can I post a photo of myself from a national USA Weightlifting event on my website, Facebook, or Instagram?

Yes, absolutely!

Can I edit a photo?

Yes, feel free to crop, edit, and change your photos.

Can I make prints of my photos?

As long as you have permission from the athlete in the photo, yes you can totally make as many prints as you want.

Can I submit my photo to newspapers and magazines to publish?

Yes! Competing at an event is quite an accomplishment, and sharing that with the world helps promote our sport in a positive way.

Can I use my photo to announce my seminar or workshop?

Yes, you can absolutely use your photo to promote a seminar and working that you host.

Can I post or use photos that have the "Photo Preview" watermark on them?

Our intention is not to promote our brand with the photos that we publish for preview on our website, but rather to help create a sustainable ecosystem for photographers, athletes, event organizers, sponsors, etc. Purchasing photos is incredibly important part of that ecosystem, which removes the "Photo Preview" watermark, and we very much appreciate your support. If you can't afford your photos, please contact us by email so we can help you out. We'd rather that you post your photos without our watermark so that you're promoting yourself, our sport, your sponsors, and our sport's sponsors rather than having our watermark front and center.

When I post a photo of myself from a national USA Weightlifting event, can I mention or thank my sponsors?

Yes, you may absolutely thank your sponsors in the message portion of your post.

When I post a photo of myself from a national USA Weightlifting event, can I edit my photo to add my name or the logo of my team?

Yes. Photos and videos from national USA Weightlifting events may be altered to add your name, the name of the event, and the logo of your team. Your team must be registered with USA Weightlifting.

When I post a photo of myself from a national USA Weightlifting event, can I edit my photo to add the logo of my sponsor?

Photos and videos from national USA Weightlifting events may not be altered to add the logos of any entity other than USA Weightlifting and/or your registered USA Weightlifting Team.

Why?
USA Weightlifting partners with event sponsors that contribute to the financial stability of our sport at a national level. Placing logos of businesses on media taken at national USA Weightlifting events can be confusing to the viewer whether the sponsor is sponsoring only the athlete in the photo, sponsoring the competition as an event sponsor, or even sponsoring USA Weightlifting as the national governing body.

Are there any exceptions?

Yes. If your sponsor is also a USA Weightlifting sponsor, you may edit your photo to include your sponsor's logo. For a full list of USA Weightlifting sponsors, visit TeamUSA.org. To learn more about becoming an Official USA Weightlifting Sponsor, contact Kevin.Farley@usaweightlifting.org

How can I promote my sponsors when I compete at national USA Weightlifting events?

According to IWF and USA Weightlifting rules, you can promote your sponsors by placing their logo on your singlet, belt, knee sleeves, socks, or shoes. Naturally, this means that their logo may appear in photos and videos of you at national USA Weightlifting events, and it will be clear to the viewer that the sponsor is sponsoring you individually as an athlete, and not the event or governing body. The specific rules may vary depending on the event and governing body, so please double check before registering for each event if you have personal sponsors that you work with.

Can my sponsors post a photo of me from a national USA Weightlifting event on their website or social media?

Yes, but the media post must be editorial in nature. For instance, your sponsor can use the photo as part of a news post stating:

  • That they sponsor you.
  • That you competed at the event.
  • A summary of your performance.

They may not:

  • Promote any specific products or services anywhere in the news post.
  • Modify the photo to add their logo.
  • Modify the photo to remove event sponsor logos.