This has been a terrible year at Istock. They mess up the website with a horrible new design (hyped up to the hilt before it went live) which decresed a lot of people's sales, they are making it nigh on impossible to get good images that are perfectly well lit approved, sales are poor for most at the moment and now this !!! It's absolutley dire.

...

Unless I'm misunderstanding this, I'll be earning 17% next year at istock.

20% was pretty low in the industry. Less than that is just a joke.

Yep, same for me, dropping down to 17%, maybe 16% (depends how I do the next three months.) My sale were up for a year but recently tanked so unless my sales increase again, I will have to stop uploading and perhaps even delete my portfolio. I feel like I see the end for microstock, at least for me, istock and micro in general just aint what it used to be.

So now canister levels are meaningless.  This is a real kick in the teeth to the exclusives who helped build the business, but maybe haven't had as much time to keep up their portfolios in the past year.

I am BD on istock and I don't bring in anything close to the 1,400,000 credits per year that would be necessary to keep the measly 20%.  I wonder if even Yuri or Andres sells that much on istock alone?  They have affectively made the top rate just for show hardly anyone will actually get it.

For exclusives this seems just devastating.  For independents it is a DANGEROUS precedent.  I don't think we can just sit back and eat this one or we will find ourselves facing the same from the other sites.  

Personally, I think it would be a good idea for EVERYONE who doesn't like these changes to stop uploading to IS completely until our concerns are addressed.  These numbers need to at least be attainable and not pulled from the realm of fantasy.  

What does this mean? :
"You will retain the royalty rate from the end of the previous year "

It means lifetime achievements don't count anymore. Only credits sold on the previous year will count towards our level.

So now canister levels are meaningless.  This is a real kick in the teeth to the exclusives who helped build the business, but maybe haven't had as much time to keep up their portfolios in the past year.

I am BD on istock and I don't sell anything close to the 1,400,000 files per year that would be necessary to keep the measly 20%.  I wonder if even Yuri or Andres sells that much on istock alone?  They have affectively made the top rate just for show hardly anyone will actually get it.

For exclusives this seems just devastating.  For independents it is a DANGEROUS precedent.  I don't think we can just sit back and eat this one or we will find ourselves facing the same from the other sites.  

Personally, I think it would be a good idea for EVERYONE who doesn't like these changes to stop uploading to IS completely until our concerns are addressed.  These numbers need to at least be attainable and not pulled from the realm of fantasy.  

I support this! You all must STOP working with those self pronounced experts and ASK 50% royalty!!!

Why do they bother to elaborate complicated royalty structures? It's a paycut. As simple as that.

Amen. It's yet another illustration of corporate greed at it's finest.  Economy my arse; it's the company wanting to line their halls with more granite and marble.  What is this, the pharmaceutical or insurance industry?  Oh wait no, it's just microstock.

This would be a great time for SS to offer exclusivity. 

Personally, I think it would be a good idea for EVERYONE who doesn't like these changes to stop uploading to IS completely until our concerns are addressed.  These numbers need to at least be attainable and not pulled from the realm of fantasy.  

Absolutely agree.

So now canister levels are meaningless.  This is a real kick in the teeth to the exclusives who helped build the business, but maybe haven't had as much time to keep up their portfolios in the past year.

I am BD on istock and I don't sell anything close to the 1,400,000 files per year that would be necessary to keep the measly 20%.  I wonder if even Yuri or Andres sells that much on istock alone?  They have affectively made the top rate just for show hardly anyone will actually get it.

For exclusives this seems just devastating.  For independents it is a DANGEROUS precedent.  I don't think we can just sit back and eat this one or we will find ourselves facing the same from the other sites.  

Personally, I think it would be a good idea for EVERYONE who doesn't like these changes to stop uploading to IS completely until our concerns are addressed.  These numbers need to at least be attainable and not pulled from the realm of fantasy.  

I agree. I won't upload. This is not just too much. This is very humiliating.

Changes like this happen for a reason, their previous business models were most likely unsustainable. Add in the fact that the US is entering a depression and the future just looks very bleak.

Changes like this happen for a reason, their previous business models were most likely unsustainable. Add in the fact that the US is entering a depression and the future just looks very bleak.

They are selling more than ever and their business model is unsustainable. Geez. If it weren't for recession they would double their earnings then. It's just greedy.