X-Message-Number: 7450
Date: 08 Jan 97 01:14:30 EST
From: Mike Darwin <>
Subject: Alcor Cryonics Festival Agreement

Steve Jackson writes regarding the solicitation for the upcoming Alcor
conference:

>I found this, to put it briefly, very disturbing. The whole style and tone
>of the advertisement was inappropriate for any legitimate organization -
>let alone one already fighting against perceptions that it is a nut cult or
>a scam. With the repeated arm-waving about "Don't be left out! Only 120
>places!" this package looked like junk mail designed for suckers. I see
>this kind of thing in the trash that I get every day from pyramid
>marketers, stock touts and other such bottom-feeders. I didn't expect it
>from Alcor.


While I do not have an opinion on the marketing, I would like to note (hopefully
without disturbing any feathers) that when I called to register for the
conference I was told that I would have to sign an agreement not to engage in
the kind of backbiting and vituperation that sometimes goes on on Cryonet.  I

have not posted to Cryonet for a long time (until recently) and most of my posts

over the past few years have been technical and philosophical and not ad hominem

(though I freely admit to engaging in  the latter some years ago.).  Thus, while

I found having to sign such a document a bit peculiar, I was willing to do so in
principle.  I found it peculiar because in all the years I've gone to cryonics

meetings and conferences I have never been at one, or heard of one, where people
engaged in attacks on each other such as they have done in print either on
Cryonet or (before email) in writing.  Some of these cryonics conferences were
sponsored by Alcor and/or by Alcor's current CEO (Fred and Linda Chamberlain)
during periods of intense conflict between cryonics groups.  At no time was
there ever, to my knowledge, any verbal exchanges which were ad hominem.

However, when the document arrived it not only contained a statement informing
me that I was acknowleding that I was "an invited participant in the ACT
Festival" and that I agreed to leave the conference if I "engaged in
uncooperative, combative, or otherwise unproductive behavior" but also that "I
understand that the ACT Festival sessions may be videotaped or for (sic)
educational or other purposes. I consent to my likeness and voice being
recorded, for use in publication in any form, without liability to Alcor.  I
further agree that I will not be compensated for this use."

I'm willing to leave a private conference or lecture if invited by the

organizers to do so and all I would ask is a pro-rated refund of my registration
fee.  I don't question that the criteria for being asked to leave are
necessarily the subjective judgement of the conference organizers. (Although I

generally associate such documents as typical of MLMs or cult-like operations.)

However, the blanket release included in the Festival registration form for use
of video and other recordings struck me as _really_ strange. The first thing

that happened when I showed this form to management here at 21st was for them to
get a legal opinion from our attorney.  Our attorney informed us that while it
is generally understood that wherever the eye can go, the camera can go, and
that if you appear in public you can expect to be recorded, it is a much
different matter to grant a release allowing your "likeness and voice being
recorded, for use in publication in any form, without liability to Alcor... for
educational, commercial, or other purposes."  This statement essentially gives

Alcor carte blanc control over _how_ and _where_ any "participant's" likeness is
used.  I don't mind appearing in a crowd or group listed as an attendee at the
conferece in report(s) or promotional materials about the conference.  Nor do I

mind any public questions I ask being used in videotaped conference proceedings.

I would, however,  very much mind video, audio or still recordings being used as
an endorsement for commercial purposes, or edited  in some way that is not
representative of what I said.  I understand (and I think most people do) that
media may present at conferences and that your picture or comments may be
recorded by media.  However, this is quite different than having your picture
taken by Alcor and released to the media as a "featured attendee."  While this
is would not be a big problem for me (and sure isn't likely to happen, either
;-)), it certainly might be a problem for professional cryobiologists and
businessmen in biomedical areas who might prefer to keep a low profile at a
cryonics conference.  

I for one am happy to sign a statement saying something like "I understand that
video, audio and other recordings (including still photography) of the
conference will made by Alcor for the purposes of education, training and
promotion of Alcor and ACT Festival.  I understand that I may appear in such
images as a result of my attendance at the conference, but also understand that
my presence as an individual attendee not on the program will be not be singled
out or otherwise used by Alcor for purposes of trade or promotion.  I also
understand and acknowledge that media may be present and that my image and/or
comments may be recorded and distributed by said media in ways which Alcor has
no control over, and I release Alcor from any liability for the use of my image
and/or comments by media covering the Festival."

As it stands now, our attorney tells us that the release Alcor is asking
Festival attendees to sign gives Alcor essentially free reign to use, edit,
alter or otherwise do anything they want with visual and/or audio recordings

made of conference "participants."  As our attorney also pointed out, by signing
the "participation agreement" (to what has been advertised  as a typical public
event) we are in fact acknowledging that we are "invited participants" which
falls into a completely different class than would, say, being an attendee at a
movie, a lecture, or a usual scientific conference.  Indeed, as was pointed out
by counsel, the use of the word "invited participant" could be construed to
carry liability in kind to that of a sponsor or speaker at the event.

I hope Alcor will reconsider this AGREEMENT OF PARTICIPATION in its entirety.
If Alcor wants to be able to ask people to leave who they think might be nasty,
disruptive or just plain asking questions they'd rather not have asked, I think
it would be better to just say so in plain language, and offer a pro-rated
rebate on the registration fee.

I don't know if this is what bothered Steve Jackson, but I can tell you that
everybody here found it very peculiar.


At the very least, public announcements of the Alcor Technology Festival such as
the one recently posted by Steve Bridge (which caused us to call in our

registrations that day since space was apparently limited) should caution people
that an "Agreement of Participation" will be required to be signed by all
participants in the Festival."  Preferably, such an Agreement should be posted
accompanying the promotional material for the Festival.  Several of our people
bought nonrefundable tickets (which are very cheap right now: $52.00 round trip
from Ontario to Phoenix) before they realized they would have to sign a special
agreement with such a broad release on use of their likeness.

Mike Darwin


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