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RANDOM THOUGHTS 5
March 26, 1999
New TSI Catalog Format
Tony Stone Images Volume 11 catalog introduces the next generation of catalog
design by presenting the image collection in a metal covered, 3 ring-binder.
They believe the format will be more conducive to designers' workstyles and it
offers the following features:
Some TSI photographers have nicknamed this catalog the "tin can."
Getty Moves To Seattle
Getty Images has announced that they will move their corporate headquarters
from London to Seattle. The decision to relocate is based on the Company's
increasing emphasis on e-commerce and is in line with its strategy to further
integrate the six separate brands it has acquired over the past four years.
Approximately half of Getty Images's $185 million in 1998 revenue was generated
in the U.S. Getty Images has approximately 690 employees in North America.
Total employees worldwide is 1,350.
Jonathan Klein and Christopher Roling, Chief Financial Officer, will be
relocating from London to Seattle. Mark H. Getty, Executive Chairman, will
continue to spend a significant amount of time in London.
In other news Getty's revenue growth in 1998 was 84% over 1997 sales, due in
large part to acquisition. Klein expects revenue growth in 1999 to be about
15% over 1998 sales. Sales in 1998, excluding acquisitions grew 18%.
Todtri Update
Todtri Productions has still made no payments to stock agencies or
photographers who supplied images for their Picture Picture 12 catalog. Many
agencies also supplied images that were used in books published by Todtri in
1997 and 1998 and they are also awaiting payment. See stories
Story 192 and
Story 195 .
Todtri is trying to arrange a line of credit with Capstone and Company. Many
of the agencies doing business with Todtri were told that if they agreed to a
payment plan by January 15th they would start receiving payments in February.
Others, who signed agreements a little later, were told they would start
receiving money by March 1st. Nobody has been paid anything.
Capstone is still auditing Todtri's books. Evidently, there is now some
question as to whether Capstone will, in fact, provide the financing that
seemed assured two months ago. If Capstone backs out, Robert Tod will be forced
to seek financing elsewhere.
Royalty Free At The Stock Market
The Stock Market has followed the lead of many other major stock agencies in
making Royalty Free Images available on their web site.
They now market the images of PhotoSpin in a separate section of their
site. PhotoSpin has images in 18 different categories which include:
objects/backgrounds, travel, sports/recreation, textures, people,
nature/seasons, animals, food, business, commercial, medical, toys, nostalgia,
cars, signs, religion, junkyard and graffiti. These images are available
online for single-image sales with high resolution downloads.
The current site design gives the user the option of choosing traditional stock
or royalty free. However, once you have chosen the traditional stock route it
is very difficult to figure out how to get back to the royalty free.
"By entering into this new venture with The Stock Market, we now may avail
ourselves to a brand new audience, while enhancing our own collection by
pairing it with the vast offerings of TSM's library," notes PhotoSpin CEO, Val
Gelineau.
No Agreement Between PACA And ASMP
It appears the ASMP/PACA Joint Statement that we published in
Story 203 , and
which ASMP first published six or so years ago was never an agreement between
the two organizations.
According to Allen Russell, President of PACA, what was originally envisioned
when discussions of a Joint Statement were initiated was an agreement that
would define responsibilities of both the agent and the photographer.
At the time Marty Loken was president of PACA and there were meetings and
negotiations between Loken and Weisgrau. The agencies agreed to these five
points, contingent on the photographers defining a minimum list of what they
viewed as their responsibilities to the agencies. These points were presented
to Weisgrau with the understanding that ASMP would draft proposed language for
photographer responsibilities to their agents. ASMP never came back with any
answer. Therefore, from PACA's point of view this agreement was never
finalized.
In fact, the operations of many PACA agencies are in line with all five of
these points, but some agencies may not be fully compliant with all points.
Photographers signing with an agency should make sure they understand the
agency's position on each of these items, and not assume by virtue of the agency's
membership in PACA that they are in total agreement with all points in the
ASMP/PACA Joint Statement.
Elvis Trade Mark Appeal Rejected
Sid Shaw, the owner of an Elvis memorabilia business named Elvisly
Yours, has fended off an appeal by the official Elvis merchandising
company Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc against a (UK) High Court decision in 1997
that the "Elvis" trade mark lacked distinctiveness and should therefore not be
registered.
Enterprises argued that celebrities have an exclusive right to exploit their
own characters. Although this is the case in other countries, including the
United States and many continental European countries, the Court of Appeal has
roundly rejected this kind of monopoly right in the UK. The public do not
assume, when buying Elvis (or Spice Girls or Princess Diana) products, that
they are buying something officially licensed and endorsed.
This information was supplied by Charles Swan of The Simkins Partnership a
new media law firm in London. Email:charles.swan@simkins.com.
Photos To Go
Photos To Go (www.photostogo.com) has gone 3D. Index Stock
Imagery has teamed with TriVista (www.trivista.com), a leading 3D image
software developer on the Internet. The agreement provides users of TriVista's
Web site with access to the full range of Photos To Go images for use in its 3D
ImageCube and 3D ImageScene designs.
The 3D ImageCube software allows users to add innovative design elements and
navigation links to a small business or personal Web site. Users may access
the software to display rotating Photos To Go images from airplanes to zebras,
and everything in between. They can reduce the size of the images, rearrange
them, and edit the photos so that they race by on highway billboards, turn
through pages of a virtual photo album, or spin on a Photo-To-Round. Popular
functions include creating a fun screensaver or engaging Web site feature.
After selecting a specific scene type (cube, inner carousel, or outer
carousel), a click of the Browse button will enable cyber-designers to select
their Photos To Go images and drag each one to the software template. After 3D
and HTML page options are chosen, the ImageCube can be sent to the user's Web
browser for instant interactive use on the Web.
"We know TriVista's customers will enjoy adding high class photos to their 3D
projects. We hope Photos To Go customers will also benefit, as they literally
add a new dimension to their communications by using photos in new Web-savvy
ways," says Bahar Gidwani, CEO of Index Stock Imagery, the parent company of
Photos To Go. A complete software demo is available on the TriVista Web site.
TriVista joins more than 30 companies that have already agreed to support
Photos To Go, including Home Business Magazine, Imall and Ask Jeeves. Mr.
Gidwani indicated that he is aggressively pursuing new partnerships and expects
to sign an additional 30 companies in the next six months.