BCCI justifies not giving accreditation to some photo agencies

The BCCI today sought to justify its rejection of accreditation applications from certain photo news agencies for covering the IPL, saying they did not meet accreditation standards as "their primary businesses involved commercial sale and licensing of photographic images".
"BCCI wishes to explain, in line with its existing policies, the decision to not accredit certain categories of entities, i.E., photo news agencies, for coverage of Pepsi IPL 2014, which began on 16 April 2014," the Board said in a release.
"As with other sports bodies internationally, the BCCI processes numerous media accreditation applications it receives after undertaking an evaluation of applicants and their respective organisations. Through the BCCI media accreditation process, photographers nominated by bona fide domestic and international news publications as well as news agencies, including AFP, were duly accredited, for the Pepsi IPL 2014," it said.

"These accredited persons were presented the opportunity by the BCCI to capture and supply an unlimited number of match images for editorial use by their respective publications and agency clients worldwide."
The BCCI said that the primary business of certain applicants involved commercial sale and licensing of standalone photographic images and hence these applications were not approved.
"Certain applicants did not meet the BCCI's accreditation standards on the basis that, in the BCCI's good faith opinion after due evaluation, their primary businesses involved the commercial sale and licensing of standalone photographic images. These applications were not approved, along with the applications of various freelance photojournalists," Board Secretary Sanjay Patel said in the release.