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Author Topic: Fotolia sells 50% stake in business  (Read 29845 times)

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Ed

« Reply #25 on: May 16, 2012, 13:43 »
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I pulled all of my images in February.  Granted, I didn't have much....but I don't see how anyone can contribute to an agency that incorrectly reports the money you receive to the IRS at year end, and also plays a shell game with image levels.  If you can't trust your agent then who can you trust?

Quite frankly, I think after all the commission drops at various agencies, my suspicion is they are not looking to acquire...they're looking to restructure debt at more favorable interest rates.  The cost of capital is cheap these days compared to 4 or 5 years ago.


lisafx

« Reply #26 on: May 16, 2012, 13:48 »
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Lisa, Lisa . . . . . .  such language! . . . . and I thought you were a lady!  :o

LOL!  Really?  I thought I used very ladylike language.  Not a ladylike act, certainly, but nothing wrong with the language ;)

« Reply #27 on: May 16, 2012, 13:52 »
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Seriously?  any case,  whats the point?, you will be replaced by one or two tomorrow. Wont even make a dent. This has been my whole point for years, its a numbers game and nobody is irreplacable.

It's a two way street. FT was pretty easy to replace as well.  ;D

lagereek

« Reply #28 on: May 16, 2012, 14:15 »
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Seriously?  any case,  whats the point?, you will be replaced by one or two tomorrow. Wont even make a dent. This has been my whole point for years, its a numbers game and nobody is irreplacable.

It's a two way street. FT was pretty easy to replace as well.  ;D

Yeah, with a differance:  300 mil. ;D

« Reply #29 on: May 16, 2012, 14:49 »
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ETA: I have no idea why the link I have posted is tiny and so far down the page.

video interview - Oleg Tsceheltzoff
« Last Edit: May 16, 2012, 14:58 by bhr »

« Reply #30 on: May 16, 2012, 16:21 »
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Everyone should pull all their images from Fotolia, and see how much it is worth then.

easy for you to say. (and me) That would be awesome if it happened - and to H&F/Getty too.

I just finished pulling about 100 images.  1900+ more to go!

Seriously?  any case,  whats the point?, you will be replaced by one or two tomorrow. Wont even make a dent. This has been my whole point for years, its a numbers game and nobody is irreplacable.

Seriously.  I've been planning on leaving for over a year now.  Just wanted to wait until I finished pulling my iStock portfolio first.  I could care less if leaving impacts either company or not.  Leaving them will give me peace of mind and that's all that matters.

« Reply #31 on: May 16, 2012, 16:23 »
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Seriously?  any case,  whats the point?, you will be replaced by one or two tomorrow. Wont even make a dent. This has been my whole point for years, its a numbers game and nobody is irreplacable.

It's a two way street. FT was pretty easy to replace as well.  ;D

Haha!  Thumbs up!

« Reply #32 on: May 16, 2012, 16:36 »
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If things did get any worse with FT, it will be quite easy to leave now.  A few years ago when the commission was reasonable and it was possible to rise up the rankings, I wouldn't of thought about leaving.  Now, it's hard to see how I will still be there in a few years time.

rubyroo

« Reply #33 on: May 16, 2012, 16:39 »
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Agreed.  I've come close to leaving FT several times.  Will see how things are by the end of this year, but may pull the plug.

« Reply #34 on: May 16, 2012, 16:45 »
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Seriously.  I've been planning on leaving for over a year now.  Just wanted to wait until I finished pulling my iStock portfolio first.  I could care less if leaving impacts either company or not.  Leaving them will give me peace of mind and that's all that matters.

Exactly. For me, it wasn't about them at all, it was about me. And I had enough. With FT and IS both, a couple of years ago. And if the bull$hit continues, I'll pull all of my images. When it gets to a point where my images are being given away, well, they won't be, not on my watch.

« Reply #35 on: May 16, 2012, 16:46 »
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What if they're going to use that money to buy shutterstock? :'( :(

« Reply #36 on: May 16, 2012, 16:50 »
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What if they're going to use that money to buy shutterstock? :'( :(

That would be hilarious. I think people's heads would just explode.

« Reply #37 on: May 16, 2012, 17:09 »
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and how are we(contributors) going to get benefited by all these stuffs going on with fotolia and shutterstock? (except of buying equity)

How will we be benefited?  Sort of the same way a new prisoner is "benefited" when he drops the soap in the prison shower. 


 :D :D :D Hysterical. Care if I use this one in the future?

« Reply #38 on: May 16, 2012, 17:22 »
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It might be good for us if all the sites were owned by greedy investors that kept lowering commissions.  We would eventually have to do something about it.  I'm tired of this long slow death of microstock.  At some point we are going to have to get together and do something or forget about making money from microstock.

I still think if we all withdrew from sites that paid less than 50% commission, everything would change.  Buyers will go to wherever they can find what they need.  We have the lifeblood of the sites and some of them have taken it for granted that we will supply them whatever they do.  Some people have left sites but it would have to be a big coordinated effort to make a real change.  Just imagine how the valuation of sites would change if their suppliers left and buyers moved elsewhere.  It might seem impossible but it could be much easier to do than we think.

helix7

« Reply #39 on: May 16, 2012, 17:58 »
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...I still think if we all withdrew from sites that paid less than 50% commission, everything would change...

"We" who? The small number of us in the forums? We're a drop in the bucket compared to the vast majority of contributors who are content to be in the microstock business but not in the community. Any community effort to pull our images from any particular company would go largely unnoticed, while the majority don't care about the inner workings of these companies and will contribute anywhere that they can make a buck.

grp_photo

« Reply #40 on: May 16, 2012, 18:04 »
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...I still think if we all withdrew from sites that paid less than 50% commission, everything would change...

"We" who? The small number of us in the forums? We're a drop in the bucket compared to the vast majority of contributors who are content to be in the microstock business but not in the community. Any community effort to pull our images from any particular company would go largely unnoticed, while the majority don't care about the inner workings of these companies and will contribute anywhere that they can make a buck.
I fear that you are right but still hope that might sharpshot is right in the end. If 50% of all contributors would drop Fotolia over the night this would change our business completely but yeah this will probably be a dream forever.

lisafx

« Reply #41 on: May 16, 2012, 18:14 »
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and how are we(contributors) going to get benefited by all these stuffs going on with fotolia and shutterstock? (except of buying equity)

How will we be benefited?  Sort of the same way a new prisoner is "benefited" when he drops the soap in the prison shower. 


 :D :D :D Hysterical. Care if I use this one in the future?

Be my guest ;D

OM

« Reply #42 on: May 16, 2012, 18:30 »
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And after Fotolia was telling all and sundry that it is being destroyed by cheap competition? Either it was lying or the buyers have got shafted or, maybe, both.

All in the 'corporation' game. Screw everyone to make the business appear as profitable as possible because the owners know that there is interest from the Noo Yawk money men.

rinderart

« Reply #43 on: May 16, 2012, 19:18 »
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...I still think if we all withdrew from sites that paid less than 50% commission, everything would change...

"We" who? The small number of us in the forums? We're a drop in the bucket compared to the vast majority of contributors who are content to be in the microstock business but not in the community. Any community effort to pull our images from any particular company would go largely unnoticed, while the majority don't care about the inner workings of these companies and will contribute anywhere that they can make a buck.

As much as I don't want to. I have to agree.

« Reply #44 on: May 16, 2012, 19:21 »
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Lately it has happend, squeez out the constributors make numbers what make someone buy!  It needs two years, now FT is going to death.

« Reply #45 on: May 16, 2012, 20:00 »
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It might be good for us if all the sites were owned by greedy investors that kept lowering commissions.  We would eventually have to do something about it.  I'm tired of this long slow death of microstock.  At some point we are going to have to get together and do something or forget about making money from microstock.

I still think if we all withdrew from sites that paid less than 50% commission, everything would change.  Buyers will go to wherever they can find what they need.  We have the lifeblood of the sites and some of them have taken it for granted that we will supply them whatever they do.  Some people have left sites but it would have to be a big coordinated effort to make a real change.  Just imagine how the valuation of sites would change if their suppliers left and buyers moved elsewhere.  It might seem impossible but it could be much easier to do than we think.

It's never too early to start working on your own personal escape plan.  ;D

lagereek

« Reply #46 on: May 17, 2012, 00:08 »
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It might be good for us if all the sites were owned by greedy investors that kept lowering commissions.  We would eventually have to do something about it.  I'm tired of this long slow death of microstock.  At some point we are going to have to get together and do something or forget about making money from microstock.

I still think if we all withdrew from sites that paid less than 50% commission, everything would change.  Buyers will go to wherever they can find what they need.  We have the lifeblood of the sites and some of them have taken it for granted that we will supply them whatever they do.  Some people have left sites but it would have to be a big coordinated effort to make a real change.  Just imagine how the valuation of sites would change if their suppliers left and buyers moved elsewhere.  It might seem impossible but it could be much easier to do than we think.

It's never too early to start working on your own personal escape plan.  ;D


Escape-plan!  You might just have hit on something.  I have seen this coming for over a year and with all agencies. I have pumped in so much RM and RF, during the last 8 months and for those who think RM, RF, is dead, think again, the returns have been great.
I could easily pull my port from all micros tomorrow and still be on a winner.

true though, we are a small bunch here and our contributions to micro is microscopical compared to the masses out there, they are happy with a sale now and then, frankly theyre happy just to say they are photographers. :)

« Reply #47 on: May 17, 2012, 02:43 »
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...I still think if we all withdrew from sites that paid less than 50% commission, everything would change...

"We" who? The small number of us in the forums? We're a drop in the bucket compared to the vast majority of contributors who are content to be in the microstock business but not in the community. Any community effort to pull our images from any particular company would go largely unnoticed, while the majority don't care about the inner workings of these companies and will contribute anywhere that they can make a buck.

While we may be a very small percentage of the number of contributors I suspect we hold a large percentage of the most successful images. There may be 1,000 contributors who account for 90%+ of all sales. The top 100 may account for 50% of sales. 

« Reply #48 on: May 17, 2012, 05:14 »
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I wonder how would the value of agencies drop if Shutterstock would come up with possibility of going exclusive with them with reasonable royalties. I think that it would destroy many of agencies.

« Reply #49 on: May 17, 2012, 05:57 »
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I wonder how would the value of agencies drop if Shutterstock would come up with possibility of going exclusive with them with reasonable royalties. I think that it would destroy many of agencies.

That might even be something I would consider.


 

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