Real Simple Essay Contest Aimed At Simple-Minded

Over the years, I've become used to seeing unreasonable contracts. But the terms for the The Second-Annual Life Lessons Contest by Real Simple Magazine are simply beyond belief. I could go through the whole thing, but one simple section says it all:

In addition, by entering, Entrant grants to Sponsor a nonexclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to edit, publish, promote, and republish at any time in the future and otherwise use Entrant’s submitted essay, along with Entrant’s name, likeness, biographical information, and any other information provided by Entrant, in any and all media for possible editorial, promotional, or advertising purposes, without further permission, notice, or compensation (except where prohibited by law).

No need to wonder; you are reading it correctly. By virtue of entry, a writer gives unfettered use to the publisher to publish an essay as many times as it wants, with any edits that it desires, whether as editorial or for promotional or advertising purposes. The mag doesn't have to ask or even inform the writer and doesn't pay one penny. And that's for any entry, not a winning one.

Using the entry of the winner who gets $3,000? Sure, I can see that. Open use of anything that comes in the door? What the hell are they thinking? Oh, wait, I know: someone in management read Chris Anderson's book Free and misread that it's about the publisher giving away some free things. Or maybe the person in charge didn't bother to go past the title. Here's a clue to those at the top: If you want people to value what you do enough to pay, you'll find that you have value what others do for you enough to pay them. Otherwise, you're in no position to criticize anyone who thinks that "information wants to be free." It's one of those little truisms that make the world go 'round. Or is that too simple a concept for a mover and shaker?