A judge published a verdict on November 28, 2017 in the District Court of North Hoilland that could dramatically change the meaning of copyright in the Netherlands, if it is upheld. Masterfile and Mediapro, its representative in the Netherlands, had brought a case against a website operator who had used a Masterfile distributed photo of a “clear close-up of a temperature gauge of a car.” The photo was used without permission and no payment was made by the website operator to Masterfile
Given the low prices, royalty cuts and delayed payments, experienced entertainment shooter are finding they no longer need stock agencies – particularly microstock agencies. When a photographer shoots red carpet or other entertainment events all sales pretty much come the next morning, or not at all. Red carpet event photos have a VERY SHORT shelf life. The trick is getting your photos on the editor’s desk the next morning.
Tired of low stock photo prices? Maybe you ought to license your images to customers direct. More and more customers are finding the images they need by searching Google. Sometimes the image may be one of yours that is represented by an agency. You may be able to get these searchers to come directly to you.
When potential customers see one of your images they would like to use can they find you or your representative. More and more image users are finding the images they would like to use by searching Google or Bing. They also stumble on images that would be perfect for their next project while searching Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and other social media sites.
“Must all Royalty Free photos be model released?” This question came from a stock agent who is considering converting his collection from RM to RF.
The answer is NO. An increasing number of images are being offered under a Royalty Free License for
Editorial Use Only. What the Editorial Use Only means is that “we don’t have a model release for this image,” and thus it can not be used for commercial purposes.
Stock photographers operating drones may want to take a look at
Skytango, a startup agency that specializes in supplying drone footage. Not only will Skytango license stock clip, but it will help those who need custom footage, that can only be shot from above. The company will help customers locate drone operators who have the equipment and skills needed for their jobs.
The
TT News Agency in Sweden has acquired
IBL. Since its inception in the 1960s IBL has enjoyed a solid market position, in Sweden as well as internationally. Daily newspapers, weekly press, magazines and book publishers are the company’s main clients.
Adobe has identified six
visual design trends for 2018. They are: Silence and Solitude; The fluid self; Multilocalism; Creative Reality; History and Memory and Touch and Tactility. In each of these areas they have created a gallery of Adobe Stock Photos that illustrate the concepts.
There have been many articles published about how the Copyright Small Claims Bill, H.R. 3945, entitled, the “Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act of 2017” (the “CASE Act”) will benefit image creators. Here is a
link to an excellent article that may make it easier for photographers to understand exactly how the Act will benefit them.
The market for editorial stock photos is quite different from the commercial market. Shutterstock may be having a difficult time adapting. In January 2015 Shutterstock
purchased Rex Features for $33 million. At the time it was believed that Rex’s gross 2014 revenue was about $7 million.