MicrostockGroup

I have been a client of Fotolia for more than 5 years, and a contributor for about 3 years now... I uploaded public domain scanned files over the last few months, which were all approved. At Fotolia, Shutterstock, Bigstock, 123rf, Dreamstime to name a few, which I uploaded a property release for it (except Fotolia since they don't have any property release option in their file submission).

Public domain files like what many contributors upload (except that I convert them to vector for a more flexible use):

- http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-15159460-the-hatter-s-table.php?st=a6102e7
- http://www.shutterstock.com/cat.mhtml?searchterm=engraving&x=0&y=0&search_group=&lang=en&search_source=search_form#id=75844009 (one of mine)
- http://www.123rf.com/photo_5830285_rhino-old-engraving.html
Hell, even Fotolia Infinite collection: http://www.fotolia.com/id/9568339
and I know you can find thousands out there on different site.

I submitted a new batch last week, and got them all refused for Possible Intellectual Infringement. Fine, I contacted Fotolia the week after, then surprise, today I find my account blocked. No email. No questions. No reason.

Find this funny to get treated like dirt after all these years. I also see my sales continuing to grow there while my account is blocked. I saw a few thread relating similar issue. I think they should at least take contact with the contributor before imposing actions on them. I know for a fact that I own the copyrights of all images I use for stock, unless they are public domain which in this case there are no copyrights at all. There is a minimum of 130 to 160 years old engraved images that use, so I can't understand why I would get my account blocked.

Please share the light Fotolia, I am sure other contributors would like to know more about your "blocked account treatments".

That's about what I did. I read a lot of threads on this forum dated of 2009. I have to say that now my account is already unblocked after contacting them. For those interested, the answer they gave me was... :
Fotolia :    The account is no longer blocked. We will speak with the editing team.

I guess don't are not paid per words written as their answer is pretty... straightforward and non-informative. But I can say they addressed this pretty quickly, don't have to complain about that

The whole process took a day instead of a few weeks or month some other reported.

Hi!

I uploaded a batch of images recently, I have more to follow but for some reason you rejected this batch with the mention shown in subject, while before you approved them.

Your system does not allow us to upload a Property release, which in case of Public domain illustration you might require?

The images refused are image from 1870 and 1890 books, which are all have been in public domain for a minimum of more than 20 to 40 years.

iStock have some of the images I submitted. Shutterstock have 1000s of approved images I submitted there initially, all in the batch your refused. 123rf, Bigstock, Shutterstock, iStock, Veer, Alamy, StockFresh to name a few are all sites that Accepted the images that was refused. Can you please review?

Plus your system does not give us a visual or name of the image refused, only a number so I cannot know which to re-upload. Thank for helping me on this.

Answers:    
Fotolia :    Can you please provide image id's?    05-11-2011 07:15 pm

Your answer :    31603152 - 31603146 - 31603178 and a lot more. Do I have to list them all?

Also I just noticed today that my account is BLOCKED without reasons. Can anyone give me a reason as to why you are blocking my account? I have been a customer and contributor for more than 5 years. Is this your way of doing business by blocking accounts without giving any reason and without even asking questions???    05-11-2011 09:44 pm

Fotolia :    The account is no longer blocked. We will speak with the editing team.    05-11-2011 11:51 pm

Congratulations Morph. Glad the problem was resolved quickly

Glad you got it sorted, it sucks to realize how little we contributors mean to the sites we've been uploading to for years.

I can't believe the didn't even bother sending you an email or phoning you.
At least they came good in the end.

I just started recently uploading some Public domain images as I currently have an oppurtinuty to generate income which I cannot miss. More income means that the switch from doing part time micro and doing it full time is a lot easier. If Fotolia stop accepting PD images I don't much care as they are not the main seller of those images. Shutterstock is. But I doubt VERY much that they will do so. Those images are in demands.

For shutterstock: Displaying results 1 - 100 of 22,638. If you write the word "engraving". 10k images on istock. Will only be sad if Shutterstock does that, but until then, I will ride the train.

Basically to answer your question, What if they decide to not allow public domain images anymore? I will just keep doing what I was doing before uploading those and keep creating images. Slower income, slower process, but the results will be the same over time. Let's adapt to how the market goes, and grab opportunities when they present themselves.

But be realistic. Refusing public domain images might make a lot of contributors angry. Customers most likely so as there is a high demand for them from what I see. They will will cut part of their income to the profit of those company who accept them. Not only Stock images site sells public domain image, some sell shirts, some sell reprints, and for the buyer it always come down to How much time will it take me to find the source of that public image, acquire it, scan and prepare it when I can get it for a few $$ here. Time vs. money.

Does that make my portfolio artisticly astounding? No. Does it show great creativity? No. Does it need to be to generate income? No. Basically it helps generates a good revenue, in a point in time when I can decide to stop accepting client and reducing the work of my graphic design company, and spend time doing stock photo I appreciate doing instead of doing a "monk's job" scanning, live tracing and editing those images