I've been saying for a while that we need a new licensing model that has the simplicity of RF with some of the rights of RM. This is a step in the right direction. And they pay at least 50% commission. I'll be keeping an eye on this one.

I'm not sure if the "model" is really different.  That'd be like me with a site and a couple of pull downs for various things that look in a DB of prices I've designed.  No big deal.  Isn't that kind of like "Rights Ready" from Getty?  The renewal thing is just good customer service (and smart to warn people they're keeping an eye on them).  Looks like there's room to grow there...

I'm not sure if the "model" is really different.  That'd be like me with a site and a couple of pull downs for various things that look in a DB of prices I've designed.  No big deal.  Isn't that kind of like "Rights Ready" from Getty?  The renewal thing is just good customer service (and smart to warn people they're keeping an eye on them).  Looks like there's room to grow there...

Perhaps model is the wrong word.

What I think matters is that you don't want to have to answer questions you're not able to yet (is it 1/8 of a page or 1/4; they just want to know cover vs. inside) or deal with a sales rep, or all the hassle questions of Getty RM. You just want to be able to license your image, download and go.

If you could buy limited rights as easily as buying royalty free (assuming the images were good and prices reasonable) I think there'd be a viable business that was different from the micros and different from old-line Getty. If you could easily look at what rights you already bought and easily add to those if you need more time or print as well as digital (when you initially said just digital, for example), I think it would make for a big step forward for buyers and still allow photographers to earn more when the usage was of greater value to the buyer.

I think making it easy, flexible and fully automated is enough to make it something new, even though the underlying idea of purchasing only specific rights for a specific period is an old one.

I think of such funny things - when you get the mix right - big shifts in businesses are made. Hello iTunes, buh-bye Tower Records.

The fact that the one-time innovator (iStock) has now stopped innovating - 'cause Getty doesn't want to spend money and is protecting its own turf - is a bit sad. It'd be nice if one of the other micros had started something like Evolve.

So, if SS decided that instead of leaving BigStock to fester - what's the point of BigStock when you have on demand and single licenses at SS? - it was going to make a curated image-exclusive collection on that site? Leave SS as the success it is and do your experimenting with the other site you acquired.

Certainly Evolve's a site to keep our eyes on to see if it gets any traction with buyers.