The IPTC (International Telecommunications Council) is challenging
vendors across the media industry to create the conditions for
interoperability for metadata embedded in media files. Following
a 2006 Metadata Manifesto issued by the Stock Artists Alliance, the
IPTC has created a new updated document the Embedded Metadata Manifesto
to cover all media types, including stills and video. The manifesto
outlines a set of 5 principles.
For the third consecutive year Alamy pledges a Scholarship for the 2011
Young Photographer’s Alliance (YPA) scholarship program. The
YPA is a global community where young photographers connect with the
inspiration, resources and contacts they need to build successful and
sustainable careers as the great artists and communicators of the
future. Program sponsorships provide mentoring, financial support and
expertise to students who have been identified as having outstanding
potential.
iStockphoto has announced the launch of its premium-quality Vetta video collection with clip prices that range from 55 to 150 credits (credit prices vary from $0.99 to $1.54 depending on the size of the credit package purchased). Currently there are over 300,000 video clips on iStock, but only a few thousand of the best are in the Vetta collection. However, it is expected that the Vetta collection will grow rapidly. Approximately 5,000 videographers have contributed clips to iStock.
Photographers are trying to assess how much the acquisition of PhotoLibrary will add to Getty’s gross revenue and what impact it might have on Getty’s overall control of the stock photo market. I estimate that gross 2010 revenue for still photo licensing worldwide was about $1.45 billion. Over the years I have defined the “stock photo market” as including the licensing of still photos and illustrations, but not footage or any of the auxiliary activities that Getty, Corbis and some other companies are involved in. I also include in my gross figure revenue generated by the picture divisions of AP, Reuters, AFP, etc. and of course the editorial division of Getty Images.
APA (American Photographic Artists) members have “uniformly agreed that Getty Images’ proposed changes are unacceptable.” Through its counsel,
Nelson & McCulloch LLP, APA contacted Getty Images prior to the April 30th deadline and made clear its position on the new contract. The organization requested, “that Getty Images stay or extend its self-imposed deadline for forcing contributors to sign (its) agreements.” Getty Images refused to respond to APA’S inquiry.
Alamy has searched through its collection of over 23 million images to
determine the top ten buildings around the world that are the most
photographed. As we enter the tourist season this information is worth
considering. These locations are icons that represent a city, region or
country. They are must-see locations for any tourist visiting these
areas and are likely to appear in every travel, airline and hotel
promotion for the general location of these buildings. You’ll also find
them on calendars and postcards. There is great demand for these
subjects.
It’s no surprise to anyone in the stock photo business that average fees
for image use are declining. The questions are how much, what’s causing
the decline, can we make it up in volume and how can we turn it around?
ASMP’s Executive Director Eugene
Mopsik speaks out on the ASMP position relative to the new Getty Images photographer contract. ASMP has been carrying on a dialogue with
Getty for some years as a photographer advocate. While ASMP has had recent discussions
with Getty, substantive results in the best interests of photographers
have not been achieved. Therefore, ASMP believes that it is important
for photographers to stay knowledgeable about the changes in the market and to
be aware of options including changing distributors and self-marketing.
Universal Images Group Limited (UIG), the distribution business unit of
the Virtual Picture Desk (VPD), has entered into a long term agreement
with The British Library Board to represent their picture library
content for the online education market on a global and worldwide basis.
Stipple, a San Francisco-based technology company, has released a suite
of products that will turn editorial images into e-commerce storefronts
for consumers. The principle behind this new development is that
consumers often want to purchase something that is pictured in an
editorial image. It might be a T-shirt, a dress or the jeans a celebrity
is wearing; or a purse; or shoes; an electronic gadget; or golf clubs –
you get the idea. How does the consumer find the brand name of product
pictured and where to buy it