After two months of ongoing and productive dialog with the Stock Artists Alliance (SAA), Getty Images today announced significant changes to its $49 "web-resolution" license for both Rights Managed and Rights Ready imagery.
The SAA-led coalition of artist groups' key concern was this product should "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."
Getty Images acknowledged the seriousness of concerns the group raised, and has engaged in productive dialog with SAA to rework the product to address those points.
Highlights of Changes
The major changes to the RM and RR products - compared in the chart below to the products as originally presented - mean they are now clearly and narrowly defined, limited not only to a three month term, but also by additional parameters that effectively constrain usage.
Limitation of size
A maximum usage size of 180x150 pixels is now clearly defined. This clearly limits this license to secondary or spot usage.
Limitation on Distribution
In the original product, distribution was unlimited, allowing $49 licenses for major commercial campaigns. The revised product effectively eliminates this loophole. Distribution of a single web ad is now limited to one website only. Distribution of a single promotional email is limited to 10,000 recipients for RM, and a single email blast for RR. Use on a website is limited to a single page, and not unlimited pages as in the original product.
| $49 Product | RIGHTS MANAGED | RIGHTS READY |
| ORIGINAL | use for one commercial or editorial website, web ad, email, mobile or multimedia for one year | use in web or electronic media for commercial or editorial projects for one year |
REVISED | Commercial: Editorial: Editorial use on any single page of one editorial Website at a size | Electronic or web - single use at a maximum of 180x150 pixels in web or other electronic media for commercial, editorial or internal projects for up to 3 months. Example uses: |
SAA Executive Director Betsy Reid says the organization's leaders are pleased the direct dialog led to "an improved license product that resolves many of the concerns raised by photographers and our coalition. It expands new licensing opportunities in a growing market for very small digital uses where this type of product makes sense."
Looking Forward
A bigger-picture issue that SAA has been raising is how traditional RM licensing systems can be innovated to better meet the changing needs of customers who are increasingly moving from print to digital media. SAA is engaged in broader discussions around this critical issue with Getty Images and other key players across the stock industry.
SAA President Roy Hsu explains, "SAA is committed to maintaining the momentum from the ongoing dialog started here on issues central to the long-term business interests of both artists and distributors."
