I have been following all this from the begining. Because english its not my native language, its sometimes dificult for me to understand everything. But i read all with great interest.
If you allow me, i would like to copy and paste here what i wrote in istock about my point of view. I wish my level of english would be better to take part more deeply in the conversation. This is what i think:

From the very first time i knew about all this, i deactivated my portfolio. I had only 539 images, but this was the product of much work during months working hard and with enthusiasm.. I had no doubts, for me the reason its absolutly clear. I explain why;

maybe Getty, Google, and any other company has discovered that the future is attracting users to their services giving to them free images. Its logical..People love free things.

Images, vectors, books, 3d models, maybe movies in the future...everything free for getting users for, indeed, free services. What nice, what utopic. But nothing is free in the life. We all know this. The users of those services become products their self. Its a kind of circle. And at the end only the big corporations earn money. Big amounts of money using another people work. I dont know if my level of english is enough for make me understand.

I love photography, its a passion for me, but its my job too and i do this as a bussines. Emotions apart, for me it is clear that the deal between google and getty only benefits to them. They do big business with our effort, thats easy. Are we going to allow them to drive this business into that? , who, in their right mind, would give away their images for others who will make money with them? I think this its the problem of this "new form" of business. They need the images...bait to attract the public. Am i, or any of us supossed to be so unconcern about our work to give them it?


No emotions here..only think. Last answer is from us.


I deactivated my files for protecting my work and my way of life. I would like to see a solution to the problem and reactivate my files again. Hope all this count for something in the future. For the moment this agency is quarantined for me.


 


greetings to all, from Spain.