Our Club Photographer, Len Kowalski, has asked to post  this regarding mis-use of his images:

“I can’t believe that i’m having to do this today. Normally I am processing and posting matchday images from the previous days match. But the @neathrugby game was postponed yesterday due to the adverse weather.

Due to me finding out businesses are using my images as advertisements without my permission i think i have to make my feelings known now, as its beginning to get too often.

With the advent of AI, even if my images are watermarked, the watermark can and is now being removed by anyone and used.

Firstly I will say I am a volunteer with @neathrugby, and I am not paid to do matchday photography, or any photography for the club. Most people will be unaware, also, that it doesn’t end for me when the final whistle is blown. I still have to process the images for use, which eats into my free time. Plus all the equipment I use doesn’t come cheap. Cameras, lenses, laptop and software plus the many other items needed to carry out a professional job run into many thousands of pounds.

Neath RFC have my permission to use my images to promote and advertise the club, and also present and past players and coaching staff can use them for personal use. No one else can use them without permission. I would appreciate a tag from the players when they use my images on their socials, please. But do not give the images out to businesses for their promotion.

I am the sole copyright owner, and the businesses would need to contact myself for a license to use my images in that context. This is given when images are purchased from myself, whether its a personal or business licence.

It is why I am posting screenshots of the law regarding image use.

This post is meant to educate people that images are not worthless bits of data, but have a value put on them by their creator for the personal time and effort that has been put into them.”

Thank you

Len Kowalski