Getty Images Acquires Photolibrary

By Jim Pickerell | 262 Words | Posted 5/3/2011 | Comments
According to Tech Crunch Getty Images has acquired competitor The Photolibrary Group. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed and as of this writing no additional information is available on the Getty web site.

Getty Images Acquires PicScout

By Jim Pickerell | 423 Words | Posted 4/28/2011 | Comments
Getty Images has announced that it has acquired PicScout, a leader in identifying image use, metadata and licensing information on the web. Founded in 2002 by Offir Gutelzon and Eyal Gura the company is based in Herzliya, Israel and has 60 employees. The PicScout brand will remain, and the R&D team is expected to remain in Israel.

Negotiating "Life of Edition" Rights

By Jim Pickerell | 793 Words | Posted 4/27/2011 | Comments (1)
Some textbook publishers have begun to ask photographers to invoice them for the right to use images for the “life of the edition” of a book. The following is the language from one such request. "Please bill us for publication rights for the life of the edition. … we would like by this permission request to sell additional units through the life of the edition...."

Science Photo Library Turns 30 and Launches 30:30

By Jim Pickerell | 279 Words | Posted 4/27/2011 | Comments
The world’s leading specialist image and footage agency, Science Photo Library, has been in the business of providing world-class imagery for the last 30 years. To celebrate, they have launched “30:30” which means clients will receive a series of special anniversary offers throughout the rest of 2011.

Images For Students: UIG and EB Do 10-Year Exclusive Deal

By Jim Pickerell | 1151 Words | Posted 4/26/2011 | Comments
Universal Images Group (UIG), and Encyclopaedia Britannica (EB) have entered into a 10-year License Agreement that makes UIG the exclusive provider of still pictures, video and footage for EB’s online educational image service, Image Quest. UIG, the distribution business of the Virtual Picture Desk (VPD), has provided 2 million educational still images for Britannica Image Quest and will subsequently provide motion content including video and footage clips. The Image Quest online subscription service went live in September 2010 with content from more than 50 world-class image providers.

iStockphoto Listens To Videographers

By Jim Pickerell | 397 Words | Posted 4/21/2011 | Comments
In early March Selling-Stock reported that many of iStockphoto’s most experienced videographers were very upset with the proposed royalty share for iStock new Vetta collection. At least 25 of the most productive contributors with a combined total of about 45,000 clips decided not to participate in Vetta. Most concluded they were likely to earn more if their clips were licensed at the lower Exclusive prices because they would continue to receive a higher royalty rate. It is also expected that clips available at the lower Exclusive prices will sell more frequently than those at the higher Vetta prices. Illustrators who produce Vector art were faced with the same problem.

Buyers To Meet Distributors at fotofringe London

By Jim Pickerell | 425 Words | Posted 4/21/2011 | Comments
On Wednesday, 11 May 55 major and specialist picture libraries will be exhibiting at fotofringe London. The event is designed to connect photo suppliers with their customers and will be held at Kings Place, London’s new music and arts cultural center.

Pricing Electronic Uses

By Jim Pickerell | 1918 Words | Posted 4/20/2011 | Comments
When customers first requested rights to use images in both print and online it seemed reasonable to charge a supplemental fee for the online use that was much less than the print price. Today, electronic use is at least equal to print and tomorrow it will be the predominate use of all imagery. If we continue to price electronic as a lesser usage we will be offering a huge discount on the price for the majority of our future licenses. Therefore we must come up with an entirely new strategy for licensing electronic uses.

What Buyers Want From Photographers

By Jim Pickerell | 494 Words | Posted 4/20/2011 | Comments (1)
PhotoShelter and Agency Access have just released a free ebook entitled “What Buyers Want From Photographers.” The information resulted from a 35 question survey sent to Agency Access’ global database of 55,000 photography buyers. 500 responded to the survey.

It’s All In A Caption: Finding The Right Image

By Jim Pickerell | 258 Words | Posted 4/19/2011 | Comments (1)
In December the United States Postal Service released 3 billion copies of a first-class postage stamp that showed a low angle close up of the head and crown of the Statue of Liberty, symbol of American freedom. About a month ago the service was shocked to discover that the image supplied by Getty Images was not of the 305 foot tall statue designed by sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi and located on Liberty Island off the tip of Manhattan, but of a half-sized replica outside the New York-New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

About