Fotolia D-Day (Deactivation Day) May 1st

Fotolia D-Day (Deactivation Day) May 1st Tweet

By Steve GibsonThu, 2014-05-01 08:01

A somewhat brief article as unfortunately I have not left myself enough time to write a proper commentary on the subject: Microstock contributors are probably already aware of the thread at microstock group and 'movement' organized by boycottfotolia.org

The issue stems from photographer sentiment that devaluing of their work by Fotolias launch of 'dollar photo club' is something of a 'last straw' considering the license terms, image resolution etc provided. I can't really say I blame them considering Fotolias track record on transparency (or lack thereof).

Fotolia have now provided an opt-out from syndication of your Fotolia port on dollar photo club, 'DPC'. The option can be found by editing your profile on Fotolia and selecting the "contributor parameters" tab, there is a modify link next to "Sell my files on DPC".

dollar photos club output

I think that today (May 1st) should be a day for sending a signal of a mass opt-out rather than deleting portfolio or images. I know that opinion may undermine the pledge that some contributors made on the boycottfotolia site but I feel a middle ground has been reached (ideally it would be an opt-in). Overall it's up to each contributor to read all the information and make their own decisions where and where-not to sell.

Bookmark/Search this post with

10 Comments

The existance of DPC causes

Lena (not verified) on Fri, 2014-05-02 15:13

The existance of DPC causes the crush of the entire microstock market. It's not enought to choose "Don't sell my files on DPC" to solve the problem.

DPC (dollarphotoclub) and Getty Images devaluation of photo sto

MORNING LIGHT (not verified) on Sat, 2014-05-03 19:16

I think everything started when Getty Images Inc. offer free embedding of 35 millions picture from their multimillions photos database in Blogs. See http://www.bjp-online.com/2014/03/getty-images-makes-35-million-images-f... In short “Getty Images makes 35 million images free to use Getty Images has single-handedly redefined the entire photography market with the launch of a new embedding feature that will make more than 35 million images freely available to anyone for non-commercial usage. BJP's Olivier Laurent finds out more” – British Journal of Photography Olivier Laurent — 5 March 2014 It was punch in the stomach of micro stock photographers. Obviously Getty Images Inc. started to be scared from growing popularity of Shutterstock Inc after they become Public Company. It has for effect dropping of the prices of the Shutterstock Inc shares from about $100 to just below $75 on May 2, 2014. When the gossip for preparation of this devaluation of photography market appear Fotolia has to defend themselves too. They already dropped the commissions for sold stock photos. Remain only to organized this DPS. I’m completely agreeing with fellows from http://boycottfotolia.org/, but I think first they have to organized boycott of Getty Images Inc. It will be difficult because majority of photographers in Getty Images are very expensive pros and other microstock photo agencies are as dust in their eyes (more rough pain in the ass).

DPC

Steve Gibson on Sun, 2014-05-04 00:52

I have a PR from when Fotolia launched DCP back in January this year, before the Getty launch.

Reply to Steve Gibson

MORNING LIGHT (not verified) on Mon, 2014-05-05 16:19

First Getty Images Inc. last year dropped their commission for sold picture to 20%. As result some of very successful stock photographers Inc left Getty Images Inc, deleted their portfolios and organize separate microphotostock. You can find publications in Internet related to the case. It happens in second part of 2013. However on this time started gossip that Getty Images is preparing reshaping of the photo stock market. They reshaped preferably microphotostock market, but during the time it will reflect and right management market as well macro photo stock market. As you know commission of FOTOLIA was already dropped couple of years ago and started from 20%. There was nothing more what to do (for FOTOLIA) that to organize DPC. My opinion is that reshaping of the microphotostock market was started from Getty Images Inc. There are too many reasons they to try to do this. Here remain only one question how Getty Images Inc. will protect those free 35 millions images from commercial use? For example I saw too many times in websites photos with watermarks of one or another photo stock agencies which were download from the photostocks websites where they display portfolios of the photographers. The usage of those 35 millions free images for commercial purpose is the biggest hit over the photostock markets and it was done by Getty Images Inc.

Fair Points

Steve Gibson on Wed, 2014-05-07 00:00

Some fair points there.

What's to stop people ripping off the free images that are not Getty exclusive RM? I suspect is (complete conjecture) that getty will be invisibly watermarking / fingerprinting those hosted images so that cut and paste copies of them without the proper code can be detected automatically as Getty goes about their usual spidering of the internet for infringing images.

how do you propose to do that?

rights managed photographer! (not verified) on Wed, 2014-05-14 13:37

With due respect but do not drag us into this micro business. I can understand you are all browned off but, hey look! nobody forced you to join these shady outfits. The Getty photographers I know and including myself are not at all surprised, with years of experience this was foreseen, bound to happen. These 35 million embedded images is strictly for non commercial use and so far it seems to have aided us very much, my last monthly sales-report was nearly 40% better then the previous. We have no problems but you do. This is your tree and you're sitting in it. Besides, Getty is not as patient as Fotolia. Getty would sue the pants off anybody.

Clarification

Steve Gibson on Thu, 2014-05-15 00:04

The only reason I mentioned RM was that those exclusive RM images are the only ones that Getty know for certain are used against their license (i.e. they scrape the internet, find an image and if it does not match one of their license records then it has not been paid for).

For everyone else if an image has been sold anywhere/anytime as RF then if it's found online without their magic code there is no evidence (without some kind of image fingerprinting) that it has been 'stolen' from their free blog images system.

Hi! no I did not mean you,

rights managed photographer! (not verified) on Fri, 2014-05-16 10:58

Hi! no I did not mean you, it was an answer to Morninglight who wish to see action against Getty for the embedding of images. As you know this embedding is just very different from the concept of DCP, FT or any micro for that matter. The entire micro industry is really an extension of traditional stock-photography which thanks to photographers like Turner, Maisel, Satterwhite, McCurdy, Lagereek, Thompson, etc, etc, together with those days Agencies like, Image-Bank ans Stones-Worlwide started the whole ball rolling. They actually laid the original concept of Stock. Some of these people even make their images available in some micro-stock agencies. I still think micro-stock have brought this upon themselves. Falling prices, royalty-cuts,etc is just a natural progression.

Overblown as usual!

blackstar (not verified) on Wed, 2014-05-14 09:37

Yet another completely MSG overblown topic. The Getty embedding is strictly for non commercial use and have got no effect on micro sales. Besides I am not sure Getty photographers are all that curious about whats happening in the micro industry.

The Fotolia DPC move? I can agree up to a certain point but then again what about the Istock subscription just being launched? what about Shutterstock being the worlds largest subscription site?
FT have just done what every other agency really wanted to do but did not know how and possibly did not have the guts to do it. Well they did and on both accounts.

Must say I find it rather funny actually. Thousands join the micro concept, fully understanding it means pennies from heaven and when it turns out to be just that, they start belly-aching.
Further more and this is quite interesting. When looking at previous history of the biggest instigators and belly achers, they have but a couple of years eaperience.

Overblown and Whinging

Steve Gibson on Thu, 2014-05-15 00:46

The whinging part I think is just the demographics of crowd sourcing / the culture of it all. Facebook is full of it too as are most other forums, and, LOL belly-aching is certainly the effect it has one me sometimes. If I rolled my eyes any more on MSG they'd be in the back of my head.

Most of it stems from when the goal posts are moved, but I agree with your sentiment (I think) for example when Getty changed their royalty Structure for the 'traditional' photographers there was discussion of leaving the industry, not making economic sense to continue producing etc. That is completely drowned out by a sea of microstockers foaming at the mouth from a change to syndication rates on a single agency.

I don't think the reaction to Fotolia DCP was something disproportionate, I think it was a result of 100 paper cuts and a big enough mass of people saying enough is enough. My personal experience is that FT treat their buyers with similar contempt, FT appear to be too focused on short term bottom line.

The 'professional' microstockers tend to stay pretty rational, and plenty of them stay out of the bitch fights on MSG, their voices are just lost in the crowd, alas.

I do finally want to highlight that there is a lot to learn on MSG, but you have to use it enough to know which are the voices to trust and which are just full of....