Getty Images Pledges Revisions to $49 "Web Res" License
ATLANTA, GA (September 25, 2007) - Just two weeks ago, Getty Images announced their $49 "Web use" license product. In response, a growing coalition of artists' groups led by Stock Artists Alliance (SAA) [of which the National Press Photographers Association is a member] has called for Getty Images to remove all Rights Managed (and Rights Ready) imagery from the scheme.
While SAA continues its call for removal of RM and RR images entirely, SAA says there is progress to report. Getty Images has confirmed to SAA that they are now working on revisions to the $49 product, which they believe will alleviate the key concern that it be restricted to short-term, highly limited, low-value usages and does not provide a substitute for high-value commercial and advertising online use licenses.
In talks with Getty Images last week, SAA says they made clear that the announcement of a term reduction to three months was a positive move, but falls short of addressing the serious concerns that the group raised in its communication to Getty Images CEO Jonathan Klein. First among these is:
- Loss of high-value digital licensing revenue: As major marketing budgets shift from print to digital media, this product establishes an across-the-board bargain price point on the very best images for all types of online usages. This product oversimplifies the online marketplace, mixing high-value and low-value uses together, offering $49 licenses for major global campaigns as well as small limited uses. The result is needlessly giving up licensing revenues from commercial and high-end uses.
Other anticipated consequences are:
- A devaluation of RM licensing: Offering the very best images at a bargain price point communicates to customers that all images, even the very best and most creative, are all worth the same.
- Erosion of prices across the board: Once customers can obtain a major use license of an RM image at this cost, they will likely question the validity of being charged significantly higher rates for other uses of top shelf images.
- Reduced recovery value for infringed images: Low values established for web uses will have a serious impact on the valuation of claims for copyright infringement and lost/damaged originals, and dampen efforts to pursue infringers.
- Reduced return for photographers: The impact of the above adds further strain on the viability of independent photographers' businesses. Their declining participation in stock means that less of the freshest, most creative images will be available to customers.
The SAA coalition continues to grow, and today represents more than 50,000 professional artists including photographers, filmmakers, illustrators and digital artists from 17 trade associations who have come together on this issue.
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