The Haiku Foundation Forums

Thanks again for the answer Alan!

I think its fine if a magazine or organization publishes one of the poems in the collection, in someone else's anthology, or if it publishes a haiku at a much later date (on book, website, printed or online magazine etc). I think that if the author still has the right to his poem, it can be helpfull (for him) :)

Personally, I have the same opinion that they can't claim ownership if you win prize money for the same reason - because it is not a pay a fee or commission the poet and author hasn´t been employed to write that poem. I am glad that this is not just my view on this issue.

Your answer helped me and reassured me a lot and gave me the confidence to take part in some competition. So I will try it O:)

Warmest regards and all the best days ☼

Marko

Dear Alan Summers,

thank you VERY very much for the quick and detailed reply. You helped me a lot with it! ♥

It was just the "Basho Memorial English Haiku Contest" competition that was the one that aroused my caution and because of which I founded this topic and became more interested in copyright issues in haiku competitions.

I didn't have these questions in online magazines, I always found exact copyright information on the website (for example Chrysanthemum, The Heron's nest, Cattails, Frameless sky, Frog Pond, etc.). It specifies exactly what they have the copyright for and whether they return to the author. But I didn't find it that clearly defined in the competitions conditions.


Can I ask:

So If in the terms of a some contest is written for example someting like

"haikus will be displayed on our homepage / release in the anthology."

or it is determined exactly what they will do with my poems (for example how you write it about the "Harold Henderson competition") BUT at the same time it is not written that

"the copyrights are returned to the authors after the competition (as it is in the conditions of the competition  "Kusamakura haiku contest " and "Yamadera Bashō Memorial Museum English Haiku Contest" that you mention and where I don't see it written so clearly)" 

My last question is: Don't I have to worry and look for answers? Or do you always recommend writing to the responsible person / organizer of the competition?


I apologize if I ask questions that are clear. I'm the type of careful person. It is very important for me to have the copyright to my poems even after the competition. Money to win is a pleasure, but it is not important to me. My pleasure is to share haiku with people and be part of the haiku world. I don't write poems because of competition, but on the other hand, I'm competitive, so I want try it O:)

So thank you very much for help AND when I publish a book in the future, I will definitely send you a printout as a thank you.

Warm regards

Marko

Good day,

I've been writing Haiku for a long time and I decided to try to take part in some haiku competitions organized this year. But I can't find the answer to one question.

I want to ask how it is with copyright when I participate or I win a competition ?. Can I include the poems I submitted to the contest in my book of poems that I want to publish in the future? Or poems that I sent to the competition can´t be published not only in any printed / online magazine but also in my own collection after the competition?