MicrostockGroup

Microstock Photography Forum - General => General Stock Discussion => Topic started by: estike on February 24, 2016, 07:38

Title: Photaki closing
Post by: estike on February 24, 2016, 07:38
Just got this E-Mail:

Dear contributor,

After a long journey in the stock photography sector, Photaki will no longer be operational after March 31, 2016.

Photaki started as a personal project in 2001 and we have been growing in content and authors for 15 years. We have been sharing our passion especially with our contributors and with artists of this sector, many of whom are benchmarks of the market.

Times change and the Graphic Resources sector has been evolving and radically changing. Photaki’s business model was truly revolutionary years ago. Nowadays, however, it would be hard-pressed to fit in the current market.

Photaki has fulfilled its mission and we are saying goodbye, both with sadness and with the joy to cope with new projects that wouldn’t exist without Photaki. That is why we want to thank you for trusting us during all this time! We will soon inform you about our new projects and the possibilities to collaborate with us.

As soon as you finish reading this statement, you may have some questions. We will try to answer to them hereafter:
•   What will happen with the commissions I have been cumulating? You can request the charge for your commissions until March 31. Please, contact us at [email protected]
•   What will happen from March 31? From March 31, you won’t have the possibility to request any pending amount and the web page won’t be operating
•   What will happen with my files published in Photaki? We will remove all the graphic content and every piece of information

Yours Sincerely,
Photaki
Title: Re: Photaki closing
Post by: Shelma1 on February 24, 2016, 09:06
Pablo Blanes has moved on from Photaki to Freepik, which is currently being investigated by Shutterstock for copying thousands of best-selling vectors and giving them away for free. SS emailed me about the investigation and has already told them to take some copies of my work down.

Photaki/Freepik/Flaticon/Pablo Blanes are all the same guy, so I'm just popping in to remind people that Blanes has been giving away stolen or copied work for years while being paid as a Shutterstock affiliate.

I hope you all get whatever money he owes you from Photaki.
Title: Re: Photaki closing
Post by: CrFx on February 24, 2016, 09:27
Pablo Blanes has moved on from Photaki to Freepik, which is currently being investigated by Shutterstock for copying thousands of best-selling vectors and giving them away for free. SS emailed me about the investigation and has already told them to take some copies of my work down.

Photaki/Freepik/Flaticon/Pablo Blanes are all the same guy, so I'm just popping in to remind people that Blanes has been giving away stolen or copied work for years while being paid as a Shutterstock affiliate.

I hope you all get whatever money he owes you from Photaki.

Well done Shelma.
Can you share what shutterstock informed you exactly about the investigation?
Title: Re: Photaki closing
Post by: Dumc on February 24, 2016, 09:42
I think she is not able to comment on that due to interest of investigation.
Title: Re: Photaki closing
Post by: CrFx on February 24, 2016, 10:53
I think she is not able to comment on that due to interest of investigation.

I understand
but as Photaki I expect them also to shutdown coz of their such shameful acts.
Title: Re: Photaki closing
Post by: cathyslife on February 24, 2016, 15:04
Pablo Blanes has moved on from Photaki to Freepik, which is currently being investigated by Shutterstock for copying thousands of best-selling vectors and giving them away for free. SS emailed me about the investigation and has already told them to take some copies of my work down.

Photaki/Freepik/Flaticon/Pablo Blanes are all the same guy, so I'm just popping in to remind people that Blanes has been giving away stolen or copied work for years while being paid as a Shutterstock affiliate.

I hope you all get whatever money he owes you from Photaki.

Nice work! I hope you, and anyone else who got ripped off, get a big fat check for all the lost income, but I fear that might be wishful thinking.
Title: Re: Photaki closing
Post by: stockastic on February 24, 2016, 15:45
I'll remember this guy's name and be sure to have nothing to do with any business he's associated with.   If anyone hears of him popping up elsewhere, behind some other name or domain, let us all know.