Just got this.  There are also a couple Istock threads.
http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=351633&page=1
http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=351629&page=1

Contributor News: February 20, 2013

IP Wiki

The iStock and Getty Images teams are very happy to announce the relaunch of a new and improved IP Wiki. This is a guide for contributors (and customers as well!) to some of the legal issues that can affect what you shoot and what we can accept at each site. High Fives to Shaun Lombard, Benoit Beauregard and Jeff Feltmate for all your hard work! We will update this regularly so bookmark it and visit often!

Forum Shuffle

It�s been over 10 years since the forums launched and it�s high time we did some spring cleaning. In early March, we will be making some significant changes to our current format that we hope will make it easier to find the latest news and updates from Headquarters.

Illustration Updates

Raster News

We're beyond thrilled to announce the imminent launch of a project that is long overdue and has been on our collective wish list for years...moving rasters to the illustration category!

Starting in the coming weeks, when clients search for illustrations they will see every vector and JPEG illustration on the site. From there they will be able to filter their search results to view only vector artwork if they choose. Clients looking for photos will no longer see ilustrations in their search results. Bortonia has created a post in the forums that should cover most questions about rasters and how it effects you as a contributor.

Vector Thumbnails on Getty Images

We've been hard at work the past several months working on solutions to the vector thumbnail color shift and cropping issues on both Getty Images and the Partner Program sites (Thinkstock, Photos.com).

We've made multiple improvements to how our system handles the generation of vector preview images. These improvements include far more accurate colors, less visible banding and compression, and better cropping.

Moving forward, all vector files moved to GI and the PP sites will have their previews generated by this new system. We still have a large backlog of files to move so clearing these is our biggest priority, but at least we know that their previews will be far better than those we've made in the past.

We are also working towards reprocessing the existing thumbnails over the coming weeks. Once this is complete we will let you know however please understand that moving the backlog of files is still our main priority at this time.

Google Drive Update

First, we would like to thank you for your continued patience in this process. Getty Images and Google have been working very closely together over the past few weeks to resolve your concerns with the presentation of your content in Google Drive and we are in full agreement about the importance of protecting your intellectual property. We are in the process of working together to refine the messaging around end user rights and restrictions, as well as to ensure that the metadata is associated with the images in Google Drive. This work is in progress and we are looking forward to spelling out all of the changes for you as they are completed in the near future.

Pinterest

This month, iStock will be joining the ranks of inspired pinners around the globe. Similar to our other social media channels, we'll be inspiring a broader creative audience with the quality and breadth of our content, while also driving brand awareness and traffic.

You'll notice boards like Tips and Tricks, The World of Mobile, Design Elements and Free Images to engage creatives with iStock's current free image of the week. We will also be highlighting our exclusive artists and showcasing locally relevant work; all attributed and linked accordingly. In addition to this, we will only be using small, watermarked images that link directly back to the file close up pages.

We know we�ve talked at great length in various threads about Pinterest and specifically about copyright protection. Getty Images is taking steps to add all iStock content to Image IRC in 2013. This means that all your content will be �fingerprinted�.

ImageIRC is a technology platform that enables images to be identified and attributed to their creators wherever they appear on the web. Currently, the ImageIRC contains over 139 million premium still images from 200 individual partners worldwide.

If you�d like to read up a little more on Pinterest�
Pinterest Terms of Service
Pinterest Copyright

Follow us at Pinterest.

Microsoft Update
We are on track to have all of the iStock content on Microsoft removed by the end of March.

Oh god, Pinterest...

No real news there, except that someone on staff is making, essentially, light boxes on Pinterest and giving it the ok.  The ImageIRC bit is a distraction and has nothing to do with Pinterest.

Unfortunately, nothing new with Google.

"Interesting Technology, I have no clue how effective it is or the workings behind it but if it can talk to image search engines and add that fingerprint based on visual recognition it should help with the spread of illicit downloads."

Jb, it has nothing to do with that.  It is a searchable database for a browser plugin, afaik.

Don't care about the Pinterest thing. I use Pinterest, I like it, but istock creating pin boards doesn't make any difference to me. Don't care one way or the other.

The Google thing is starting to sound more and more like the best we can hope for is better information being passed down to the end user. Better meta embedding, license info, etc. Beyond that, it's doubtful that anything else will change. We'll probably only ever see a token royalty paid for inclusion, with Google still being able to redistribute images without limit.

The pinned images are supposed to be iS watermarked.
There is an iStock pinboard (or whatever they call it) called Emerald City
http://pinterest.com/istockphoto/emerald-city where only one of the small thumbs has a watermark. Clicking on one of the unwatermarked images gets to a larger version, with no watermark:
http://pinterest.com/pin/396809417137816022
Let's hope someone over there sees this. I'd certainly be posting this on the iS forum if I wasn't prevented from doing so.
Merely by 'copying' this image, I have an orphaned 550x375 image, unwatermarked.

But actually, I'm confused, as I can't find a contributor called One Eyeland, nor can I find the image on iStock so far.

That's because it isn't an IS image.  They're also going around the net just pinning things they like.

Just so that people can easily find and steal them?
Although I suppose they could already do that, this is just curating 'good images to steal'. What's the point in that?

I hope they got permission to pin the other images. Whenever I've reported one of my images to them, I get the option to count it as a strike against the pinner. Apparently so many strikes and they're out.

Quote from: sjlocke on February 22, 2013, 10:17

That's because it isn't an IS image.  They're also going around the net just pinning things they like.

Just so that people can easily find and steal them?

For "inspiration".

There's no talk of an opt out, no offering of information about how many images are now included in the deal, no words about future deals.

It's no longer my personal issue, but even with proper retention of copyright information, you want to be in a situation where you have to accept $6 or $12 for your images to be included in a free distribution?

Quote from: Noedelhap on February 21, 2013, 21:33

Oh god, Pinterest...

No real news there, except that someone on staff is making, essentially, light boxes on Pinterest and giving it the ok.  The ImageIRC bit is a distraction and has nothing to do with Pinterest.

Unfortunately, nothing new with Google.

"Interesting Technology, I have no clue how effective it is or the workings behind it but if it can talk to image search engines and add that fingerprint based on visual recognition it should help with the spread of illicit downloads."

Jb, it has nothing to do with that.  It is a searchable database for a browser plugin, afaik.

As far as I understand the fingerprinting technique, it means that the image itself is in the database, with "all metadata", including the fact that the image is "Istock content".
But my images are not only on Istock.  So if Istock or Getty starts collecting royalties of illicit downloads, they could do this with every download of the image, even if it was stolen from one of the other agencies?
In theory that would mean I would get paid for these downloads through Istock only, but (1) I don't trust Istock, and (2) what if Fotolia/Shutterstock/... start working with the same technique? 

As far as I understand the fingerprinting technique, it means that the image itself is in the database, with "all metadata", including the fact that the image is "Istock content".
But my images are not only on Istock.  So if Istock or Getty starts collecting royalties of illicit downloads, they could do this with every download of the image, even if it was stolen from one of the other agencies?
In theory that would mean I would get paid for these downloads through Istock only, but (1) I don't trust Istock, and (2) what if Fotolia/Shutterstock/... start working with the same technique?

Again, no one is collecting royalties of illicit downloads.
http://seanlockephotography.com/2013/01/22/picscout-fingerprinting/

Quote from: sjlocke on February 22, 2013, 13:24

Again, no one is collecting royalties of illicit downloads.
http://seanlockephotography.com/2013/01/22/picscout-fingerprinting/

I know Sean, but isn't that the goal of the system?  Maybe not now, but in future?

In its current design, imageIRC is just a searchable database of imagery.  You cannot track RF uses, so it really doesn't help in that regard - finding illegal uses.  It's main purpose is to feed the plugin that helps buyers find the licensable image.  AFAIK...

At least Istock is not ignoring the Google Drive issue, and changing things between big corporations does take forever. I see this update as a more positive development (it's "we heard you and are working on it" instead of "take it or leave it"), but will need to see the actual changes before forming a final opinion. My expectations are not too high since I don't see how Getty can possibly back out or substantially change the deal, but let's hope they can make it slightly more digestible.

The Getty/Google deal is done and I don't think that will change.
This is they said: "Google is an important partner for us and we have many innovative licensing arrangements in place and in negotiations."
The point is (IMO), how many deal now running, that, so far, no one has discovered, and how many of this innovative dealwill came.
Pinterest is only one of this arrangements, not the worst, perhaps.

I've found 3 of my pictures on Pinterest - two with watermarks (from 123RF and DT).  Both pins have the source in the upper right indicating that they were pinned from Google.com.  Pinned by the clueless brigade that thinks it's OK to just snag images off a Google Images search.