Index Stock has made two major acquisitions. The Picture Cube of Boston and Stock Imagery of Denver are now both part of Index. Index now represents 1,165 photographers and 1.7 million images.
Corbis has acquired WestLight giving it access to top quality commercial images that will be of interest to the commercial side of the stock photography business. Up to now this has been a glaring weakness in the Corbis operation.
Corbis has moved into the Royalty Free market with the purchase of Digital Stock Corporation. This move raises more questions than it answers, chief among them ''Where is Corbis headed?''
Getty Communications merges with PhotoDisc to become the worlds leading supplier of stock photography with a combined estimated 1997 sale in excess of $140 million.
VCG of London becomes the worlds largest supplier of stock photography with the acquisition of FPG. Overall control of the industry makes another move toward Europe.
Getty Communications Group Limited has announced the acquisition of the London-based Hulton Deutsch Collection (The Hulton).
Index Stock, of New York and Southern Stock of Fort Lauderdale, FL will combine operations with the Southern Stock file.