March 11th, 2009
Getty Images, Flickr launch licensing, distribution deal
Getty Images, one of the largest photo distributors, has forged a pact with Flickr to commercially license selected user content.
Under a deal announced Wednesday, Getty Images editors will hand select photos from Flickr for commercial licensing. The aim is for Getty to distribute Flickr photos so its customers “can easily access and license the inspirational and unexpected photographs for which the Flickr community is known.” The deal was initially announced in July.
If you’re a photographer—professional or amateur—getting in the Getty database could be interesting. Getty licenses photos to many publications, Web sites and other outlets. Getty said it will add to the Flickr collection over time. Flickr photographers that are selected can sign contracts with Getty to license their photos or opt out of the program completely (see FAQ).
The companies didn’t detail set licensing schedules per se—you need a Getty account to see what pictures are going for—but images will be available on royalty-free and rights-managed licensing models.
Flickr and Getty did say:
Getty Images will continue to build this collection over time by inviting select Flickr members to participate. Members who choose to participate will benefit from the global reach and distribution power of Getty Images to help market their images, as well as its unmatched expertise and experience in rights and clearances of digital media.
The financial details weren’t available. It’s unclear whether any dollars exchanged hands with Flickr and Getty and the revenue split between Flickr photographer and Getty wasn’t disclosed.
Some key points:
- Getty editors pick the photos from Flickr they want;
- Getty pings the photographer to see if they want to license photos under a rights management or royalty free model;
- Photographer can send photos for comprehensive review.
The signup process with Getty can take a little while. Flickr notes:
If you receive an invitation to join the Flickr collection on Getty Images, you’ll be asked to create an account with them, so you become a Getty Contributor. The signup process takes a little while, because it involves setting yourself up to receive payments if/when licenses are purchased for your work. Getty Images handles the taxation side of things too, so your Contributor account will need to include details about all that.
Here’s a look at what Flickr looks like on Getty:
The collection:
The individual photo:
The licensing pricing options:
Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and Editorial Director of ZDNet sister site TechRepublic. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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