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Written by Ron Rovtar, Managing Editor, the Stock Asylum
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Monday, 24 December 2007 |
 While a micropayment stock photography distributor tries to move upmarket, a prominent traditional royalty-free image distributor appears to be experimenting with things down market.
And the two companies are meeting in the middle.
Paul Melcher, who publishes the Thoughts of a Bohemian blog has reported that royalty-free photos from Image Source now appear in a new Fotolia mid-stock library called "The Infinite Collection."
As Melcher points out, some images in the Infinite Collection are available for much higher prices from the Image Source website and from other websites, including Getty Images' site. An independent check by The Stock Asylum confirmed Melcher's blog entry.
Continue reading The Best of 2007 . . . at the Stock Asylum (SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED)
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Last Updated ( Monday, 31 December 2007 )
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Written by Ron Rovtar, Managing Editor, the Stock Asylum
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Monday, 24 December 2007 |
In a bizarre turn of events, two websites that usually cover the stock photography industry with a degree of journalistic detachment have picked sides in an argument that has been raging over past due commissions owed to photographers.
Opinion articles by Chris Ferrone of abouttheimage and Jim Pickerell of Selling Stock implied that no legitimate questions have been raised about when, how or if Photolibrary planned to pay overdue royalties owed by its Index Stock division. The Australian stock photography distributor acquired Index a year ago with the promise that delinquent royalties would be paid in full.
What is odd about the two stories is that the authors seem more motivated by a professional kinship with Photolibrary than by any objective assessment of publicly available information, which is hardly as one-sided as the writers suggest. Both Ferrone and Pickerell are stock distributors.
Continue reading Photolibrary Mess . . .at the Stock Asylum
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Written by Ron Rovtar, Managing Editor, the Stock Asylum
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Tuesday, 18 December 2007 |
Rather than assuage concerns about past-due photographer commissions, a detailed press release circulated by Photolibrary this week has raised additional issues for a trade organization that represents stock photographers.
Roy Hsu, president of Stock Artists Alliance (SAA), contended that comments in the press release contradict previous Photolibrary statements about an independent audit of Index Stock division and about the extent of the company's repayment efforts.
Hsu also questioned remarks he believes display a lack of effort in contacting some photographers who might be owed commissions from Index Stock.
The Australian stock photography distributor, which purchased Index more than a year ago, has said it will pay all past-due commissions inherited from Index's previous owners.
Continue reading SAA Still Concerned . . .at the Stock Asylum (SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED)
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Written by Ron Rovtar, Managing Editor, the Stock Asylum
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Monday, 17 December 2007 |
Faced with continuing pressure to make sure all Index Stock contributors are paid past-due royalties, Photolibrary has issued a detailed statement reiterating the company's position that it is diligently working its way through an accounting mess left over from the division's previous owners.
"We inherited a primitive accounting system that was fundamentally flawed, with records unclear and account payable obligations uncertain," the stock photography company said in a release sent out early on this date by Chief Executive Tim Moore.
"It is a matter of fact that no contributor royalties have been removed from the accounts nor have any documents been destroyed," stated the five-page press release.
Continue reading A Detailed Defense . . .at the Stock Asylum (SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED)
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Written by Ron Rovtar, Managing Editor, the Stock Asylum
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Thursday, 13 December 2007 |
Four North American photographers' organizations have joined Stock Artists Alliance (SAA) in trying to pressure Photolibrary into answering concerns about $2.2 million in royalties that may be owed Index Stock contributors. Photolibrary, which acquired Index and its debt a year ago, has said it is working on the problem.
The photographers' organizations said they will file a complaint with the Picture Archive Council of America (PACA) "supporting the investigation already begun by PACA's Ethics and Grievance Committee."
According to a press release issued by SAA on this date, the trade groups want Photolibrary to provide accurate accountings of unpaid royalties, promptly pay the outstanding commissions and look into supposedly problematic accounting practices inherited with the Index acquisition.
Continue reading Closing Ranks . . .at the Stock Asylum (SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED)
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