I read somewhere about a new function in photoshop that place a id hidden and that somehow u can get a function that searches all over the net for any copies of the image.

Like u said, the chance of finding out about the theft is so small, but I don´t worry to much about it, I do what I can to minimize the risk. =)

Yeah back to the thread..

If you have a good chance of selling the image, then don´t enter a contest with it.
Is it a good picture that stand a chance at winning?, well maby it´s worth it
Is it´s a bad pic, why not try, maby they give stuff out on random and if it´s a no good photo they´ll proberbly not use it anyway, and most likely wouldn´t you either.

Then there is another aspect off it, and that if one would choose to support a organisation that use this kind of methods. Someone before said, like if adobe would like to use my images for advertising their products, I would be honoured the first time,  but since they get it for free the first time, they´ll proberbly want it for free the second time or they´ll choose another artist´s image.    Beacuse the second time I would like to be paid.

So is the chance of getting in the spotlight worth giving up one of your images?
I guess it depends where u are in life and as a artist and what u see as important at that point.

I just remebered a contest we had in sweden with the same condition, but where u actully had to pay to enter the competion. Like I said before read the terms before entering.