Press Releases 5

2

October 3, 2005

Tomas Speight Joins Masterfile to Lead European Expansion

On January 1, 2006, Masterfile will launch direct sales operations in Germany, Italy, Netherlands and U.K. Integral to this initiative, the Canadian company has hired Tomas Speight as Senior Vice-President International. Mr. Speight will establish Masterfile's European Headquarters in Düsseldorf and will simultaneously open sales offices in London and Milan.

Tomas Speight is well-known in the global stock photo industry for his accomplishments at zefa visual media where he worked as co-CEO for four years. Prior to joining zefa, Mr. Speight established and managed European operations for The Stock Market Photo Agency over a period of six years.

Masterfile's European headquarters in Dûsseldorf will control all business initiatives in Europe, including its relationship with independent agents. Masterfile Deutschland will be hiring experienced staff in business development, sales, marketing, photographer recruitment, art direction, editing, and keywording for local language versions of the Masterfile website. It will also be recruiting sales professionals in London and Milan. Clients in the Netherlands will be served by Dutch-speaking staff in Düsseldorf. Mr. Speight also joins Masterfile's Executive Group which sets strategy and policy for the company worldwide.

Says Masterfile's president, Steve Pigeon: "We were represented by zefa in key European markets for several years. It was a great relationship, but priorities for both companies have changed. We are parting with them on a friendly and professional basis with mutual respect for the needs and future ambitions of each company. It's time to take Masterfile to a higher level and, with Tomas Speight on our team, we're sure to do that."

Tomas Speight adds: "I have always thrived in an entrepreneurial environment. Masterfile and I share a business philosophy, a love of visual communications and a desire for excellence. From personal experience, I know the global appeal of the Masterfile image collection. The company's capabilities and ambitious growth plan provide exactly the kind of challenge that appeals to me."

Asia Images Offering 2 RF Collections On Asia

Asia Images Group is launching two new Royalty Free image collections for the world's two largest emerging markets-India and China. These collections further strengthen Asia Images Group's reputation for creative excellence and understanding of the Asian market that was first started with its Asia Images Rights Managed image collection.

PictureIndia portrays the momentum and visual trends of modern India. The collection emphasizes model-released business and lifestyle images that clearly depict India as it is today as one of the world's fastest growing economies with a booming middle class of tech-savvy consumers, while retaining the flavor of India's rich traditional heritage.

AsiaPix reflects the dynamism and visual themes of modern Asia, with a particular emphasis on Chinese subjects and culture. The collection's model-released business and lifestyle images portray the development of China and the rest of Asia into the economic powerhouse that the region is today.

"Clients in Asia are now demanding high quality Royalty Free images and we are excited to now be able to meet that demand by delivering two collections representing the rapidly growing markets of India and China," commented Andrew Wilson, Managing Director of Asia Images Group. "These images will not only be appreciated by clients in Asia looking for culturally relevant images, but also those in the US and Europe that need more cultural diversity in their images," he continued.

"These collections are significant for me personally as my family has lived in both India and China for most of the past 120 years. I grew up in India, love the country, and am excited to have first mover advantage in this emerging market. I am also pleased to be able to offer Asia a high quality collection of Royalty Free images," said Alexander Mares-Manton, Founder and Creative Director of Asia Images Group.

Gallery websites are at www.pictureindia.com and www.asiapix.com and give a good preview of the quality, style, and depth of the collections.

Asia Images Group is currently seeking worldwide distribution partners for both collections and will be holding meetings with interested parties at the upcoming PACA (Picture Archive Council of America) conference in Redondo Beach, California October 14-16, 2005. For more information on distribution, please contact Alexander Mares-Manton at alex@asia-images.com.

SuperStock and Art.com to Supply Consumer Market with Unique Contemporary, Fine Art and Vintage Images

SuperStock, Inc., a subsidiary of a21, Inc., has announced an agreement with Art.com, the leading web-based, direct-to-consumer supplier of prints, posters, photographs, pre-framed art, original art and photography and custom framing.

Under the agreement, SuperStock becomes Art.com's largest image provider, supplying images from its Contemporary, Fine Art and Vintage image collections, many of which are exclusive and one-of-a-kind. SuperStock has more than one million images in its collections.

Founded in 1995, Art.com, with more than one million customer orders placed, is one of the most frequently visited retail websites in the world and is considered the dominant online player in the $35 billion industry. The company was named one of the fastest growing technology companies in the United States in 2003 by Deloitte & Touche and has won several awards for its website and e-tailing success.

Art.com's customers range from college students looking for dorm room posters to professional decorators seeking high-end, signed and limited edition artwork. The company currently provides more than 100,000 images and adds weekly to its offerings. The SuperStock agreement will dramatically increase the range of images available and will expand over time. "Consumer demand for high quality art work is growing as the general public, institutions and businesses utilize images in new and exciting ways," said Joshua Chodniewicz, Art.com Founder & EVP of Corporate Development. "The SuperStock collection adds immeasurably to our strategy of providing our customers with the highest quality and broadest selection of images."

"This agreement provides us with an important new outlet for our collections beyond our established creative and commercial markets," said Thomas V. Butta, Vice Chairman and President of a21 and CEO of SuperStock. "The depth, breadth and exclusivity of SuperStock images from our collections combined with Art.com's ability to present and deliver these unique and distinctive images to the broad consumer market make for an unbeatable combination."

SuperStock content will be available through Art.com in early October. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Workbook Releases Latest "Framed Art for Spaces"

Workbook has released its fourth "Framed Art for Spaces," a 230-page catalog of fine art. The publication is targeted to corporate interior designers, architects, consultants and facilitators who purchase and award projects for hotels, restaurants, corporate and public art spaces, etc.

Now in its fourth year, "Framed" has developed a reputation for quality, originality and creativity in promoting artists and their work. The catalog is distributed to a verified list of 9,000 buyers of fine art nationwide who use it and Workbook Fine Art online to locate existing artwork for sale as well as assign site specific work.

"You'll find our most expansive mix of images yet," says Alexis Scott, publisher. "They are culled from the portfolios and personal works of some of the most talented artists working today. The sheer variety of creative visions on display in these pages will test the limits of your imagination and selection skills as you go through the book. This may make choosing more challenging, but certainly more fun."

To see "Framed Art for Spaces" and access other resources, go to www.workbook.com.

VEER offers RF images via mauritius RF with Fancy RF Label Promo

Since the start of September, Canadian agency VEER is offering their Royalty Free images via mauritius RF, the Royalty Free brand of mauritius images in Germany. Initially, 50 DVDs with as many as 5,500 images from the royalty free label Fancy will be offered.

Accompanying to the launch, each customer who buys a Fancy image-at least in medium resolution-or a CD, will get a trendy Fancy shoulder bag for free. More at: www.mauritius-images.com.

The images of the agency, based in Calgary, have a fresh and internationally neutral message. Jacqueline Wallace, Director International Market Development, is talking about a "global appeal." VEER production is identified through selected quality and are subject to rigorous editing.

"We are very optimistic that the VEER images will win over the designers and advertisers that are among our customers in a very short time," says Jonas Fredriksson, press correspondent from mauritius images and head of mauritius RF.

Getty Images Honored with Business Excellence Award for Innovation to Advance the Fight Against HIV/AIDS

Getty Images, Inc. (NYSE: GYI), received the 2005 Business Excellence Award for Innovation from the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GBC) at a gala headlined by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Goodwill Ambassador and Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie. The award recognizes Getty Images for the creation and use of imagery to advance the global fight against HIV/AIDS.

To help GBC combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic, award-winning staff photographer Brent Stirton has documented the effects of HIV/AIDS in China, South Africa and the Ukraine, capturing powerful images that raise awareness and call a global audience to action. In addition, Getty Images news photographers worldwide are encouraged to document the spread and effects of the diseases whenever possible.

To date, Getty Images has donated more than $1 million worth of imagery to help GBC and related organizations communicate effectively about the crisis. More than 10,000 AIDS-related images are currently available at www.gettyimages.com.

"Throughout history, imagery has proven to be an astounding force for change. Photography has helped address injustice, galvanize governments and call the world to action," said Jonathan Klein, co-founder and CEO of Getty Images. "Dedicated photojournalists, committed to drawing attention to the truth and shaking people out of apathy, are at the heart of our company. This award validates the work of photojournalists everywhere and Getty Images is proud to be a small part of it."

Klein is today scheduled to join Members of Congress and CEOs from leading multinational companies for a Congressional Briefing at the US Capitol Building titled, "Business, Government and HIV/AIDS: Tackling Global Economic and Security Threats." Moderated by GBC President and CEO Richard Holbrooke, the briefing will explore ways to improve a public/private sector partnership to promote global AIDS relief.

Getty Images' work with GBC is part of the company's larger corporate social responsibility initiative to leverage the power of imagery in as many areas as possible, including disaster assistance, youth development and programs to support professional photography and photojournalism.

For complete details on the GBC events, including a Global AIDS Simulation, Congressional Briefing and Awards Gala, please see GBC press release at www.businessfightsaids.org.