JMC Inc (formerly JTB Photo Communications) based in Tokyo, Japan and
Universal Images Group Limited (UIG) headquartered in Chelmsford, England and Chicago, Illinois, USA have entered into an agreement in Tokyo on April 12th 2013 for UIG to manage the global distribution business of JMC in respect of the JTB Photo picture library and to handle all international representation. The digital library currently has 150,000 travel, travel related, cultural, cultural heritage and religious rights managed images online and which have been fully key worded in English and are provided as 50 MB tiff files.
JMC, one of 127 companies within the JTB Group, (which employs 27,000 people and has annual revenues of $12 Billion) is responsible for the creation of content and support services for the 175 JTB (Japan Travel Bureau) offices based in major cities around the world; and JTB which is the largest travel business in Japan. JTB Group also includes publishing, financial services and real estate businesses.
JMC and UIG will work together onsite in Tokyo to further edit the remaining 650,000 images in the picture library, plus editing 10,000 new images submitted on a monthly basis by JMC’s 900 photographers, illustrators and artists.
“It was critical for us to focus on the web development, system & software, content & publications and business support services for the JTB’s travel business” said Tsuguo Chihara, JMC Managing Officer and General Manager. “Given UIG’s prior professional expertise in the management of distribution services and international licensing, including experience with other major content publishers like De Agostini, Encyclopaedia Britannica and Discovery Channel , and prior services for JTB Photo, it was important to transfer this responsibility to UIG.” Both parties expect the transition to be complete within 60 days.
“We are highly delighted in this development as the JMC picture content represents the largest library of international travel rights managed imagery from Japan and is comparable to those that are available in the UK, USA and Australia that have also been created to provide valued content for the travel industry” said George Sinclair, Executive Director of UIG (and founder also of UIG’s sister company, the Virtual Picture Desk). “As we continue to develop our online education business plus producing and sourcing content for the electronic publishing, info graphics, subscription services and mobile product markets, it is important to expand the range and depth of content.”
UIG recently increased its content management facilities to include editors in Florence, Italy, and Sydney, Australia, and will add further offices later this year in addition to these and existing facilities in Chicago, New York and London. The number of licenses for new RM content through UIG’s distribution network increased by 198% in 2012 over 2011 and is expected to increase by a further 65% in 2013. UIG has added further content from Asia including content from Japan and Korea and will announce the release of these and other Collections during the CEPIC Congress in Barcelona.