Image return has become a major issue for many photographers. The basic problem has been with the industry for a long time, but several factors have recently come together to dramatically raise the level of concern. Review the dimensions of the problem and learn what you can do.
Despite recent setbacks, PACA has announced that it is moving forward with a new leadership team and a re-writing of the organization's bylaws. The 2002 International Conference to be held in Miami in November is on track to be a major industry event.
This edition of the newsletter has stories on Getty's Accounting Problems, Integration, Pictor Folds, Creative Eye Folds, Building A Searchable Web Site, Flat Sales At Getty, Masterfile Drops First-Refusal Policy, Digital Vision and Getty, Natural Selection's New Site, PACA Regroups and more.
Creative Eye is asking member photographers to approve an assessment of $750 each in order to keep its doors open beyond October 1, 2002. If a sufficient number of members do not agree to this assessment by August 23rd CE has said it will begin the process of an orderly shut down as of September 1st.
Renowned adventure photographer Galen Rowell and his wife Barbara were killed August 11th in a plane crash near their home in Bishop, CA. They were returning from a three week photo workshop in the Bering Sea.
In this issue are points for RF distributors to consider about Digital Vision's new alliance with Getty, Getty and Klein Sell Shares, Corbis Sales of Editorial Images For Advertising, PictureQuest to Set Up German Office, Imagefile in Ireland Splits and Pictor Folds.
One of the big problems in building a business by acquisition is that eventually integration of the smaller entities is necessary. Getty and Corbis are both facing integration problems now. Check out some of the hurdles that photographers should consider as they move ahead.
Until recently Masterfile had been one of the last major agencies to insist that every photographer they represented be exclusive with them. Earlier this year they moved to an image-exclusive contract with all their artists, but they still insisted on the right-of-first-refusal. Now they have eliminated that as well. This provides great new opportunities for photographers.
Getty Images posted a profit for the second consecutive quarter, but sales dipped 2.2% to $113.3 million when compared with sales a year ago. Jonathan Klein said, ''Not withstanding the turmoil in the financial markets and the very difficult environment in which many of our customers still find themselves, our business is in the best shape it has ever been.''
One of E-bay's sellers is offering hard drives loaded with Royalty Free images in violation of the RF license. His most recent sale was an 80GB Maxtor firewire Mac/PC external drive in perfect condition with over 60 RF titles for $760.00. Creators get nothing for such sales. E-bay has been asked to cancel this seller's privileges, but so far has done nothing.