Just got this email from Getty.  I'm no longer a Getty contributor since I'm no longer exclusive, but they keep sending me the emails.  I can't log in to see any more about the new program and I've removed the links in case the links are unique to me.  

Sounds to me like they are embedding their search directly into customer specific applications so customers could search for images from within that application directly rather then through a browser.

Note the phrase I've highlighted which scares the crap out of me since any time Getty introduces a new licensing model contributor's get screwed.  
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Introducing Connect by Getty Images

Dear Getty Images Contributor –

We wanted to be sure you know about an important and exciting new addition to our business offerings.

Connect by Getty Images is a new tool set that enables customers to use our content as part of new businesses that they are building, primarily online, where traditional license models simply do not work. The term “Connect” is an umbrella term for our Application Programming Interface (API) solution. This solution embeds Getty Images content, metadata and search functionality directly inside customers’ publishing tools, products and services, often completing the workflows that are key to our customers’ businesses. The number of ways customers can potentially apply this functionality is as varied as their businesses are.

There’s a lot more information and news about Connect on our Contributors’ Community site at xxx and in the Community Forum on the site at xxx

If you haven’t checked in to the Community site in a while this is a great time to do it, for updates about Connect as well as all of the latest news and image needs!

Cheers,

Getty Images Contributor Relations

Got a follow up email today (pasted below).  Payment per view/click.  Ultra-micro stock anyone?

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Yahoo!™ taps into Connect by Getty Images

Dear Getty Images Contributor –

We introduced our API product, Connect by Getty Images to you last week and explained that the ways customers can use Connect are as varied as customers themselves. We are thrilled to announce the soft-launch of an exciting new Connect deal between Getty Images and Yahoo! that will for the first time, create incremental revenue each time your image is viewed and clicked on a page that contains advertising. We want to explain how Yahoo! is adding value to their search platform by embedding our content, metadata and search functionality into Yahoo! search thanks to Connect, and how Getty Images and its contributors are now poised to benefit from Yahoo!’s significant traffic.

a few years ago i wrote a comment to the buffoon Michael Arrington (TechCrunch), pointing out that 90% of their images were stolen from google images and they should better pay for stock images considering they were making a lot of money with their business.

he laughed at me and so did most of his other readers ranting about free speech and all the other freeloaders excuses we all know !!

last i've heard is that TechCrunch was sold to AOL for 30 million $, but now they redesigned the site and it seems they only use stock images, probably bought at discount in some subscription deal.

moral of the story : even the big guys are stealing on a daily basic, it's unstoppable, they laugh at us, and they hate us.

and i could also mention other big blogs like BoingBoing, Gawker, etc ..