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 SAA has called for Getty Images to remove all Rights Managed (and Rights Ready) imagery from the scheme. The coalition continues to grow, and today represents more than 50,000 artists from 17 trade associations.
In talks with Getty Images last week, SAA 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.
With the full support of fellow artists’ groups, SAA is now ongoing and increasingly productive dialog with Getty Images specifically around the $49 product, and more broadly about the challenge of how RM licensing can evolve to grow the online usage revenues.
While the group continues its call for removal of RM and RR images entirely, there is progress to report. Getty Images has confirmed 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.
Broader discussions have also begun around the need for a comprehensive approach of innovation and refinement of traditional RM licensing systems. We concur with Getty Images’ assessment that online media customers need more images, more quickly, more simply and at appropriate price points, and acknowledge that lower-cost products may attract new customers who would not otherwise license traditional stock photography. We continue to believe however that this does not translate into the need to give away broad rights to the best images for bargain prices.
Growing Coalition of Artists Groups
As of today, the SAA led coalition includes associations representing over 50,000 professional artists including photographers, filmmakers, illustrators and digital artists who have come together on this issue:
Stock Artists Alliance (SAA)
American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP)
Association of Photographers (AOP)
Advertising Photographers of America (APA)
Editorial Photographers (EP)
Canadian Association of Photographers and Illustrators in Communications (CAPIC)
National Press Photographers Association (NPPA)
Illustrators’ Partnership of America (IPA)
Association of Swedish Professional Photographers (SFF)
International Association of Architectural Photographers (IAAP)
Australian Commercial and Media Photographers (ACMP)
Advertising & Illustrative Photographers Association of New Zealand (AIPA)
Bureau of Freelance Photographers (BFP)
Professional Photographers of Southern Africa (PPSA)
Graphic Arts Guild (GAG)
Pyramide Europe—Pyramide France, Spain, Finland, Greece, UK & Ireland, Netherlands
FREELENS
About SAA
The Stock Artists Alliance is the only trade association dedicated to the business interests of professional stock photographers, supporting its global membership with substantial information resources and ongoing advocacy initiatives. www.stockartistsalliance.org
About ASMP
The American Society of Media Photographers is the premier trade association representing the interests of publication photographers for over 60 years. www.asmp.org
About AOP
The Association of Photographers is a UK based professional trade association with in excess of 1800 members working in the fields of fashion, advertising, editorial and design. Established in 1968, the AOP brings professional photographers together, protecting their rights and promoting photography. www.the-aop.org/
About APA
The Advertising Photographers of America, the leading trade association representing the interests of advertising photographers, works to improve the environment for success in the industry and champions the rights of photographers worldwide. www.apanational.com
About EP
Editorial Photographers is an organization of 2,000 of the top magazine and news photographers from around the world dedicated to improving business practices and contracts. www.editorialphoto.com
About CAPIC
The Canadian Association of Photographers and Illustrators in Communications was founded in 1978 to safeguard the rights of photographers and illustrators and digital artists working in the Canadian communications industry. www.capic.org
About NPPA
The National Press Photographers Association is dedicated to the advancement of photojournalism, its creation, editing and distribution, in all news media. Our 10,000 members include still and television photographers, editors, students and representatives of businesses that serve the photojournalism industry. www.nppa.org
About IPA
The Illustrators’ Partnership of America is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the intellectual property rights of its members and creating a mechanism to professionally administer collective management of individual illustrators’ rights. www.illustratorspartnership.org
Founded in 1895, The Association of Swedish Professional Photographers is Sweden's oldest and largest organization for professional photographers with over 2,200 members working in the areas of advertising, news, fashion, portrait, art, industry and nature photography. SFF's main task is to improve and develop photographers' working conditions. www.sfoto.se
About IAAP
The International Association of Architectural Photographers is a trusted forum that brings together architectural photographers worldwide, as well connects buyers to the most talented architectural photographers for their projects. www.iapp.co.uk www.iapp.us
About ACMP
Australian Commercial and Media Photographers, established in 1991, acts as a united voice for Australian professional working photographers. www.acmp.com.au
About AIPA
The Advertising and Illustrative Photographers Association of New Zealand was founded in 1978 to promote more communication and higher standards in commercial photography, with a focus on copyright issues and education. www.aipa.org.nz
About BFP
Founded in 1965, the Bureau of Freelance Photographers provides market information, advice and support to around 6,000 freelance photographer members. BFP members are primarily involved in supplying images to the UK publishing industry and to stock libraries. www.thebfp.com
About PPSA
The Professional Photographers of Southern Africa is only national institute for professional photographers in Southern Africa.
About GAG
The Graphic Artists Guild is a national union of illustrators, designers, web creators, production artists, surface designers and other creatives. The Guild is committed to improving conditions for all creators of graphic art and raising standards for the entire industry. www.gag.org
Pyramide Europe exists to promote and protect the rights of photographers and other visual creators in the European context, providing a voice for creators in discussion with the European Commission. Members: Pyramide France, Pyramide Spain, Pyramide Finland, Pyramide Greece, Pyramide UK & Ireland, and Pyramide Netherlands. www.pyramideeurope.com
About FREELENS
FREELENS was established in 1995 by photo journalists to rectify the progressively worsening conditions under which they were forced to work. Today, the professional association has over 1,600 members, making it the largest group of photo journalists in Germany. www.freelens.com
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