Author Topic: Exclusive Preparations (Read 26340 times)

cthoman · « **on:** December 11, 2009, 14:37 »

After reading the recent news at iStock, I'm definitely considering becoming exclusive. I've got a while to think over the decision.

I was wondering if anyone had some advice on making the transition. I know Dreamstime is a 6 month wait and I think BigStock is 3 months. Were there any other pitfalls from other agencies that I need to be aware of?

I haven't made up my mind on the final decision, but I'd like to start the long term preparations now.

Dook · « **Reply #1 on:** December 11, 2009, 14:52 »

Veer 3 months, too.
Alamy 6 months if you were there.

lisafx · « **Reply #2 on:** December 11, 2009, 16:52 »

Not at all surprising.

I never in a million years thought I would reconsider going exclusive with Istock, but with royalties dropping at the other sites, the potential 40% increase in contributor revenues that exclusives stand to gain is mighty tempting. I posted my thoughts in the IS year end thread, but to summarize, exclusivity may make the most economic sense going forward.

The things I would watch before making a final decision are:

1. Is best match going to go haywire again?
2. Will many customers leave as a result of the price increase? and
3. What will the other sites do to counter the appeal of what IS is offering?

Certainly the lure of exclusivity has definitely grown a lot with this announcement, I will be putting a final decision on hold until I see how the above questions are resolved.

I don't have any advice for you since I am in a similar boat, but I will be watching the thread to see what others advise.

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #3 on:** December 11, 2009, 17:07 »

You can read what I'd posted about this a while back. AFAIK nothing has changed since:
http://www.microstockgroup.com/general-stock-discussion/going-exclusive-before-and-after/

cthoman · « **Reply #4 on:** December 11, 2009, 17:12 »

OK, here is my little research project for today. These are the agencies that I submit too. Feel free to add to the list.

Dreamstime

Contributors are required to keep at least seventy (70%) percent of their portfolio online with Dreamstime.com for a period of at least six (6) months. You may disable all files older than six months from the date of review at any time. You will be allowed to disable a total of thirty (30%) percent of your total images submitted within the past six (6) months. Images that were disabled and then enabled again will be counted as new submissions, no matter of their original upload date.

Shutterstock

You have the right to remove any of your Submitted Content from the Shutterstock website at any time for any reason whatsoever. However, you may not remove Red Carpet Images for a period of two (2) years from the date any Red Carpet Images are accepted by Shutterstock.

iStockphoto

I didn't see any wording on image removal, but they did talk about termination of account.

This Agreement is effective until terminated. You may terminate this Agreement at any time by giving thirty (30) days written notice to iStockphoto using [email protected] or such other means of written notice acceptable to iStockphoto which enables confirmation of your identity and your intention to terminate.

Fotolia

I didn't see any wording on image removal, but they did talk about termination of account.

You may at any time terminate this Agreement by logging into your Membership Account on the Website and then sending a termination request to Fotolia.

StockXpert

Both parties can terminate your membership account for any reason with a written notice and proof of identity. Upon termination Stockxpert removes all your Images from the Website.

Big Stock Photo

Once submitted to the Image Approval Queue, Member may not remove images from site until after they have been posted for 90 days, regardless of whether the Member chooses to terminate their account.

123RF

I didn't see any wording on termination or image removal.

Crestock

I didn't see any wording on termination or image removal.

Can Stock Photo

Within thirty (30) business days after receiving written notice from Supplier to remove any Data Files, Company shall use reasonable efforts to remove such Data Files from the Site, and shall use reasonable efforts to cause such Data Files to be removed from the web sites of any sub-distributors. Any withdrawal or removal of Data Files will not affect existing rights or licenses granted by Company or sub-distributors to end users.

Veer Marketplace

You may request the removal of Content from the Site at any time, however, Content may persist in a User’s shopping cart up to sixty (60) days, and if purchased by a User, will remain available for download and sublicensing by such User for a sixty (60) day period. Further, Content may appear for a longer period on affiliate and partner sites, however Veer Marketplace will use reasonable efforts to cause Content to be removed form the Sites of any affiliates and partners within sixty (60) days from the removal from the Site.

Vectorstock

This Agreement is effective until it is terminated. You can terminate this Agreement by removing the content from VectorStock.com. The Agreement also terminates without notice from VectorStock® if at any time you fail to comply with any of its terms.

ClipArtof

ClipArtOf.com has the right to remove any image from the site or not accept an image for any reason at any time. In such a case, you will be notified with a reason. Contributors also have the right to remove any of their images or terminate their account at any time for any reason.

Graphic Leftovers

I didn't see any wording on termination or image removal.

lisafx · « **Reply #5 on:** December 11, 2009, 17:15 »

OT: Nice work on the new avatar JoAnn! As soon as I noticed your mouth was covered again on Istock's forum I knew something big was up

FWIW I am sure they will work out some accommodation on the cannister issue.

cthoman · « **Reply #6 on:** December 11, 2009, 17:16 »

Quote from: jsnover on December 11, 2009, 17:07

You can read what I'd posted about this a while back. AFAIK nothing has changed since:
http://www.microstockgroup.com/general-stock-discussion/going-exclusive-before-and-after/

Thanks I'll check that out.

cthoman · « **Reply #7 on:** December 11, 2009, 17:21 »

Quote from: lisafx on December 11, 2009, 16:52

Not at all surprising.

I never in a million years thought I would reconsider going exclusive with Istock, but with royalties dropping at the other sites, the potential 40% increase in contributor revenues that exclusives stand to gain is mighty tempting. I posted my thoughts in the IS year end thread, but to summarize, exclusivity may make the most economic sense going forward.

The things I would watch before making a final decision are:

1. Is best match going to go haywire again?
2. Will many customers leave as a result of the price increase? and
3. What will the other sites do to counter the appeal of what IS is offering?

Certainly the lure of exclusivity has definitely grown a lot with this announcement, I will be putting a final decision on hold until I see how the above questions are resolved.

I don't have any advice for you since I am in a similar boat, but I will be watching the thread to see what others advise.

Yeah, I never thought I would be talking about it either. It's not like I was sitting on the fence. I had looked at the the fence, decided not to climb it and walked away. I will definitely be watching how the changes go, but for now, I thought I'd stop uploading to any sites with restrictions [cough, Dreamstime, cough]. Speaking of Dreamstime, I think I read that wording half a dozen times and still don't understand it. It's the deleting 30% of your portfolio that is throwing me.

KB · « **Reply #8 on:** December 11, 2009, 17:28 »

Quote from: cthoman on December 11, 2009, 17:21

Speaking of Dreamstime, I think I read that wording half a dozen times and still don't understand it. It's the deleting 30% of your portfolio that is throwing me.

Sort your DT portfolio by date, and see how many have been approved within 6 months.

Let's say you have 100. You are allowed to deactivate any 30 of those 100. (You would chose the most recent 30, of course.)

That's all it means.

vonkara · « **Reply #9 on:** December 11, 2009, 17:40 »

I'm going exclusive around December 26th. I had no problem to cancel my account at Alamy, as long as you copy the part in the agreement about terminating an account. I just received my last check from them today.

Dreamstime is the only problem I have right now. But it's comming to an end on the 26th and I just reach payout yesterday. Note that you can keep your account with most agencies in case of step back.

All your Dreamstime images are only disabled and can be unabled anytime. I think it's the same for Shutterstock, because all you have to do is uncheck SS in the partner tabs, somewhere in your profile.

I will have more information when I'll disable/delete all my accounts

le_cyclope · « **Reply #10 on:** December 11, 2009, 17:47 »

Quote from: Vonkara on December 11, 2009, 17:40

Note that you can keep your account with most agencies in case of step back.

That should be the correct strategy, keep the acount but disable the photos. Is it ok with iStock? I mean keeping accounts with other sites? I guess so.

Let us know how it will go, Vonkara.

Claude

cthoman · « **Reply #11 on:** December 11, 2009, 17:51 »

Quote from: le_cyclope on December 11, 2009, 17:47

Quote from: Vonkara on December 11, 2009, 17:40
Note that you can keep your account with most agencies in case of step back.

That should be the correct strategy, keep the acount but disable the photos. Is it ok with iStock? I mean keeping accounts with other sites? I guess so.

Let us know how it will go, Vonkara.

Claude

I wondered about this too. I do decent with Shutterstock affiliates, so it would be nice to keep earning from that.

vonkara · « **Reply #12 on:** December 11, 2009, 17:54 »

Quote from: le_cyclope on December 11, 2009, 17:47

Quote from: Vonkara on December 11, 2009, 17:40
Note that you can keep your account with most agencies in case of step back.

That should be the correct strategy, keep the acount but disable the photos. Is it ok with iStock? I mean keeping accounts with other sites? I guess so.

Let us know how it will go, Vonkara.

Claude

Sure I will do. If we can't and get rejected for exclusivity you will hear about it

____________Edited_____________
Full artist Exclusivity means no images, video or audio files may be sold on other royalty-free sites or businesses with the exception of Getty Images.
They don't talk about other accounts, just don't sell images there.

Exclusivity only covers your royalty-free stock files. iStock does not require Exclusivity for:

•Rights-managed files with other organizations
•Personal portfolio sites
•Work for hire/editorial work contracts
•Prints for sale
•Prints, t-shirts and the like produced on art-only sites such as cafepress.com
That mean you can still sell Editorial and RM at Alamy to me

crazychristina · « **Reply #13 on:** December 11, 2009, 18:08 »

I don't think Editorial work contracts covers selling editorial images as RF on a stock site.

vonkara · « **Reply #14 on:** December 11, 2009, 18:13 »

Yeah, that's where the fun start or is ending. I would really like to be able to do Editorial somewhere though

lisafx · « **Reply #15 on:** December 11, 2009, 18:21 »

Quote from: averil on December 11, 2009, 18:08

I don't think Editorial work contracts covers selling editorial images as RF on a stock site.

Alamy editorial is all RM (AFAIK).
Obviously any editorial selling RF on DT, SS, etc. will have to be removed along with the other images.

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #16 on:** December 11, 2009, 18:25 »

Quote from: lisafx on December 11, 2009, 17:15

OT: Nice work on the new avatar JoAnn! As soon as I noticed your mouth was covered again on Istock's forum I knew something big was up

FWIW I am sure they will work out some accommodation on the cannister issue.

Let's hope.

Back on topic, the only new thing to watch for as far as closing accounts is getting things off partner sites. Partners of Fotolia (I think) caused a problem for one recent would-be exclusive. I don't think they even knew about the files, but iStock did and they were turned down.

I don't have any data on times required to clear the many partners, but back when Jupiter was starting up JIU/Photos.com+ at StockXpert they said up to 90 days, I think.

ap · « **Reply #17 on:** December 11, 2009, 19:13 »

Quote from: KB on December 11, 2009, 17:28

Quote from: cthoman on December 11, 2009, 17:21
Speaking of Dreamstime, I think I read that wording half a dozen times and still don't understand it. It's the deleting 30% of your portfolio that is throwing me.

Sort your DT portfolio by date, and see how many have been approved within 6 months.

Let's say you have 100. You are allowed to deactivate any 30 of those 100. (You would chose the most recent 30, of course.)

That's all it means.

thanks for digging this info out. i never knew there was a 30% allowance at dt. i think i'd been brainwashed by traveller116 about the whole 6 month tie up.

vonkara · « **Reply #18 on:** December 11, 2009, 19:25 »

Still 30% of your portfolio uploaded in the last 6 months change nothing, as there is 70% remaining. I know I only uploaded 3 at DT in the last 6 months and I can't deactivate any of them...

Quote from: jsnover on December 11, 2009, 18:25

Back on topic, the only new thing to watch for as far as closing accounts is getting things off partner sites. Partners of Fotolia (I think) caused a problem for one recent would-be exclusive. I don't think they even knew about the files, but iStock did and they were turned down.

I don't have any data on times required to clear the many partners, but back when Jupiter was starting up JIU/Photos.com+ at StockXpert they said up to 90 days, I think.

Thanks for the info. I just unchecked all the partnership options. But I can't figure where is this option at 123RF yet..?

KB · « **Reply #19 on:** December 11, 2009, 19:25 »

Quote from: ap on December 11, 2009, 19:13

Quote from: KB on December 11, 2009, 17:28
Quote from: cthoman on December 11, 2009, 17:21
Speaking of Dreamstime, I think I read that wording half a dozen times and still don't understand it. It's the deleting 30% of your portfolio that is throwing me.

Sort your DT portfolio by date, and see how many have been approved within 6 months.

Let's say you have 100. You are allowed to deactivate any 30 of those 100. (You would chose the most recent 30, of course.)

That's all it means.

thanks for digging this info out. i never knew there was a 30% allowance at dt. i think i'd been brainwashed by traveller116 about the whole 6 month tie up.

I should have mentioned, in case it isn't obvious, that images older than 6 months can be deactivated without restriction.

Now what I'd like to know is how long they remain deactivated? I've read that they will automatically be deleted after 4 months, but I've had 4 files deactivated in my account for much, much longer than that. Anyone have a definitive word about that?

KB · « **Reply #20 on:** December 11, 2009, 19:30 »

Quote from: Vonkara on December 11, 2009, 19:25

Still 30% of your portfolio uploaded in the last 6 months change nothing, as there is 70% remaining. I know I only uploaded 3 at DT in the last 6 months and I can't deactivate any of them...

Yeah, unfortunately in your case, you could deactivate only 0.9 of a file -- worthless.

But there are situations where it can be very helpful. Someone who uploaded 30 files in Sep and 10 files this month could deactivate all 10 of those files in Feb (before any of the 30 Sep files turned 6 months old) and then just wait a few days or weeks for those Sep files to turn 6 months old.

stockastic · « **Reply #21 on:** December 11, 2009, 19:48 »

If the search ranking for non-exclusives will now be as cr@ppy as some are saying, it could take a new contributor an extremely long time to get the 250 downloads neded to go exclusive.

Somehow, in the long run, I feel that IStock is shooting themselves in the foot with these ever-more-convoluted pricing and ranking games. I can't say exactly why, but eventually if your suppliers come to hate you, your competitors will benefit.

sc · « **Reply #22 on:** December 11, 2009, 19:56 »

if you opted into the YayMicro 3rd party program it is for 3 years - but you can opt out after 1 year.

5. TERMS AND TERMINATION
Consequently the photographer agrees that his/her images will be licensed non-exclusively through a third-party. YAY's contributor agreement will be valid also for third party licensing.
The deal is valid for three - 3 - years and will be renewed for one - 1 - year after this
initial period. It is possible for the photographer to opt-put of the deal after one - 1- year by contacting YAY.

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #23 on:** December 11, 2009, 19:59 »

Quote from: KB on December 11, 2009, 19:25

Now what I'd like to know is how long they remain deactivated? I've read that they will automatically be deleted after 4 months, but I've had 4 files deactivated in my account for much, much longer than that. Anyone have a definitive word about that?

All my DT files are still there, deactivated, from August 2008. I have no idea if the enable button would work if I were to push it, but that's a very, very, dangerous button for anyone who is thinking of leaving DT

Someone stopped uploading but started disabling files a bit too soon. Upon realizing he was stuck for a few more weeks, he enabled a few of his best sellers to make some money while he was waiting.

Re-enabling a disabled file starts the 6 month clock all over again! Even if the file had been on the site for years prior to being disabled. He was royally ticked, but support said that those were the rules and he had to live with them...

dgilder · « **Reply #24 on:** December 11, 2009, 21:38 »

So, I've decided to start prepping for a potential switchover to exclusivity as well, just in case. I realized that my very productive June and July meant that I was able to disable almost everything I've uploaded since the start of August on Dreamstime. I have now done so, and I went ahead and removed all options from Shutterstock with the exception of the Shutterstock site itself. I already closed my miniscule Crestock account a few days ago.

So the earliest I could switch over is Feb 10th since it takes 60 days to clear Shutterstock's partner sites, right?

123RoyaltyFree, StockXpert, and Fotolia should all be instant removal, right? I saw someone mentioning some kind of partner site of Fotolia, was that something that you had to opt into? I don't recall ever doing anything like that.

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Author Topic: Exclusive Preparations (Read 26340 times)

cthoman

Dook

lisafx

Jo Ann Snover

cthoman

lisafx

cthoman

cthoman

KB

vonkara

le_cyclope

cthoman

vonkara

crazychristina

vonkara

lisafx

Jo Ann Snover

ap

vonkara

KB

KB

stockastic

sc

Jo Ann Snover

dgilder

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