About a week ago, Unsplash announced that they had raised $7.25 million, along with plans to bring cryptocurrency to its free stock photo service. While most see their move as a potential Shutterstock killer, Unsplash could end up becoming a potent competitor to Instagram, Pinterest, and Snap as they share more DNA. A short review of the hard numbers … Read More →
While Blockchain registration is all the craze, Joe Naylor form ImageRights explain how proof of existence, however secure, is not a valid claim of copyright ownership. … Read More →
All really deserve a post of their own but my schedule will not allow the necessary time for a deeper dive. So here is the TL:DR version. Google/ Getty: Late last week, Getty announced a global licensing agreement with Google. While this wouldn’t rattle anyone’s news alert (anyone can license images to Google), it is the terms … Read More →
There is a persistent thinking in the world of professional photographers that if you are not selling or licensing your pictures, you shouldn’t make them visible to anyone other than your friends and family. That, if you put your photos out there for anyone to use for free, it is bad for their and the … Read More →
Similarly to what occurred a few years back with the introduction and rapid rise of low-cost microstock, current trend indicate the steady rise of free stock photos and its potential wide effect on the industry. Two years ago, when we produced a panel for the DMLA annual conference called the “Business of Free”, attendees were … Read More →
At a recent DMLA panel I organized, Craig Peters, COO of Getty Images, pointed out that the vast majority of image consumption happens in places where images are not licensed. Which is true: People spend more time on various social media sites than anywhere else. Just Snapchat ( 8,796 photos shared per second), Whatsapp (8,102 Photos … Read More →
Confusion and mixed messages are creating a worried atmosphere in the world of Splash News contributors. First, the news broke that Silverhub Media signed a worldwide and exclusive distribution deal with Shutterstock. The news made no sense, SilverHub having little to no content of value for the microstock giant until it was announced not long after … Read More →
The year has not been kind for the editorial space and as result, photo agencies have continued to suffer. The market continues to see decreasing space rates along with print publications shutting down. Once the kingdom of Rights managed and exclusives, it is now a vast flat plain of yearly unlimited subscriptions and royalty free. Yet, … Read More →
Apparently, Getty Images is no longer in love with its entertainment division. Word in the street is that all the top executives of that branch, Vince Bannon, VP of Strategic Partnerships and Georges DeKeerle, Sr. Director EMEA have been given the pink slip. And there might be more. The reasons are not clear. Some say that the celebrity division, … Read More →
An Interview with Ulf Schmidt-Funke by Stefan Hartmann for PICTORIAL Magazin 04/2016. It was – actually – a discussion about an entirely different topic. But Ulf Schmidt-Funke was just about to travel to the USA, where he planned to meet with major market players – including Reuters, New York Times and Shutterstock – on behalf … Read More →