Quote from: caspixel on October 22, 2010, 15:02
They really probably should have called it "The Clubbys".

lol Exactly! 

(double yawn)

not impressed at all more cringe factor off the scale, blatantly obvious attempt to get contributers back on side after ruthless and unfair cuts in Royalties. Kinda like giving a Plaster for a stab wound

It will be many a day before the warm glow is back at that place, who needs another popularity contest anyway 

Shame about the review time tho, they accepted all my application files the same day however my second batch has been sitting there for two weeks or more 

I do agree that ISocks customer base is starting to look elsewhere, that is if my Shutterstock and other top tier Agencies earnings of late are anything to go by. Have noticed a big surge not so much in Subs but On Demand and ELs at SS and single purchases at Dreamstime and Fotolia which compensates for what we know is around the corner at IS 

Quote from: BaldricksTrousers on September 18, 2010, 14:09

Quote from: gostwyck on September 18, 2010, 13:17

Quote from: holgs on September 18, 2010, 13:12
I don't however understand how istock justifies "licensing" these images for a fee. They don't have any copyright to license.

Don't they have copyright of their digital version or 'copy' of the image. For example if you scanned an old image (perhaps adding your own touch-ups, etc) then you would own the copyright to your digital version __ but not the original.

That's the official explanation and no doubt it is legally correct but it is also absurd. It means that if they scan a book they can claim copyright on that image and I am stealing it if I use it without paying them, but if I get the same book and scan it myself I can then not only use it but also upload it and sell it as my own. Thousands of us could all have identical scans of someone else's drawing that we apparently own the copyright to.

I suppose this also means that you can upload a scan of any negative or positive as being your own copyright.

If you have an Old Master in your mansion you can photograph it and sell the picture as your copyright but if the Old Master is in a museum and you photograph it, then the copyright no longer belongs to you, it belongs to the museum, apparently.

Go figure.

Interesting info thanks

Gee I must get a scanner   

Interesting you should ask that 

I will be removing some of my best sellers at istock because of the recent shambles and cuts over there and plan to put them up as Exclusive to Fotolia

Need to check the small print first to make sure that already sold Files are permissible

Interesting thread and points deserving of a discussion in their own right, imo the "Responses from the bosses " or the lack of tells us what to expect from iStock in the Future be it in $$ or Communication and that is Very Little except for the Top Rankers

It is almost as if we the Contributors are being punished for not  accepting the unacceptable without a whimper by being sent to our rooms like naughty Kids to reflect on how bad we have been and how we must be better behaved (work harder with no back chat) in the future  

Not surprised some see the need to leave Home.   

At least we will not be subjected to as many of those nauseating Fan Girl/Boy threads (you know the ones) for awhile  

The new iStockphoto has emerged and it's not Pretty!

Quote from: gostwyck on September 16, 2010, 16:51

Quote from: Vonkara on September 16, 2010, 16:48
Being down during a week day on business hours... (sigh)

Well they've been sabotaging the contributors and the buyers for a few days now so maybe they've started on the servers?

^^ lol yes still on a go slow for me

This one just now in the "We the undersigned vote of no confidence" thread Lisa

Quote:  "name removed Contributer and buyer (2800 files purchased so far)"

QuoteWhat I foresee when 2011 will come is a big drop in uploads by independents, and possibly many of their images removed.

I believe it will not only be independants, with more and more divisions/collections being created within Exclusive Contributers there's a bigger pecking order there than Old Macdoanals Farm   and with the addition of the new outside collection many will make loose patience if they have not already

Quote from: lisafx on September 15, 2010, 13:45

Quote from: cclapper on September 15, 2010, 13:15


Just because all people aren't on here or on the IS forum saying what they are doing DOES NOT mean that they aren't doing something. Sometimes a player should not show all the cards in his hand too soon.

Really excellent point Cathy.  It's foolish to box oneself into a corner right now.  Other than David (who deserves heaps of respect!), most of the people who are already deleting their entire ports from Istock have few images there and only make a small amount of money.  

Hardly anyone making all or a large portion of their living income from Istock is going to pull their entire portfolio less than two weeks after a major announcement.  

Historically Istock has always gone back on at least a portion of what they initially announce.  I don't know if they will this time or not, but I  sure don't intend to delete six thousand images and lose 40% of my total income until I know for sure how this is going to play out.  

Good points both

As already said I will not act till the new % kicks in mainly because a small part of me still believes that there may be a miniscule chance of IS/Getty coming to their senses and trying to salvage some lost respect and support out of this with a compromise. They have done it in the past and BOY do they need to do it now!

Also as said not everyone tells the world what they are up to or are active in Forums but I suspect Portfolios ARE quietly being deleted or allegiances shifted

Not to mention those out  there who are still oblivious as to what is going on  

Quote from: sharpshot on September 15, 2010, 10:08
I don't want to start deleting until they cut my commission.  It has taken years to upload there and my earnings are already way down on 2009.  I will pledge to delete at least 20% of my portfolio in January, if the cut goes through.  If we all reduce the size of our portfolios, stop uploading and inform any buyers we know, I think it will make a difference.  Eventually, I will leave istock but I don't know how long that will take.  I have a few months now to work with the other sites and try and get more income outside of microstock.

Yeah you and me both Sharpshot

I  will be deleting Flame Images when the reductions kick in and do not regard it at all as shooting myself in the foot or pointless as suggested in this thread 

The new harsh targets about to be put in place make it impossable to expect any form of resonable payment or exposure with yet another Collection pushing Files even further back in the search for independants so we are going down anyway therefor the way I see it have very little to loose at iStock in the future but allot to gain by protecting my Portfolio elswhere ensureing my best sellers are not available at istock at a unacceptable % return

And David much repect to you for staying true to your Priciples!

Just been posted in 'That thread'  if you are gathering Quotes from Buyers

"Since 2006, i've spent over 7k with istock. Me and other art buyers are starting to realize this is like buying cloths made in China. I stock is like a third world county, where say Veer or Almay are thridworld too, but at least they are fair trade. I'm going to start buying photos from agencys that pay their continbutors more then 15%. Istock if you think this mess is just pissed off your contributors, think again. Art buyers have a conscience too"

Good to hear that Sales are picking up for some!

Something i am noticing over at Shutterstock for me is a big leap with On demand Sales not sure if it is related to the iStock developments with Buyers looking elsewhere but the last few days they have increased significantly

Yes this month also seeing an increase at Dreamstime and Fotolia add to that Shutterstock which is as least encouraging

Well second half of last week was more like a weekend and today not much better

 

Not sure if it is related to the turmoil and discontent going on right nowthere but I have been going through a lean spell to say the least these last few days since the anoucement

Someone reported a new best match shuffle? more than the usual ebb and flow for me been the worst spell since I joined and as the Summer comes to an end thought things should be picking up

How are you Guys doing?

Not sure about that still people making the 'no confidence' vote and clients talking of going elsewhere  

plus I doubt we have heard the full story as yet so best button down for further eruptions

Quote from: vlad_the_imp on September 12, 2010, 09:21

Quoteor did not try hard enough

Trying hard is not easy if you're used to a certain level of income and that plummets when you give up exclusivity.
No offence meant but a lot of people posting this sort of comment ( not all, but quite a few) are not big earners with a lot to lose. If you're only selling a few hundred images a year the reality of moving to a non-exclusive deal is very different to being a big seller at IS. An initial drop in income of , lets say 50% to randomly pluck a figure out of the air if you abandon exclusivity at IS, is manageable if you're earning $200 a month and have a full time job and this is pocket money, if you're earning $2000 a week and paying a mortgage and supporting a family, that's a whole different ball game.

Yes hear and sympathies with your points and lets not miss out the important "with the right choices" in your quote however there is going to be a reduction in income to all but the very few at IS  anyway, so that surly has to be taken into the equation

I'm not saying it is right for everyone or easy, it is down to the individual to crunch numbers in the knowledge that the Independent route will take time and perseverance ( and yes initial drop in income ) till Portfolios are established. Appreciate it is a mammoth step but what I am saying is  that with the reduced slice of the cake at IS with the right choices and determination being independent can work rather well!  why do you think many do it?  and not just for pocket money

Lets not forget that the big earners are not just all Exclusive Contributers  

sorry double post

Quote from: vlad_the_imp on September 12, 2010, 07:58

QuoteLOL! You think they will stop on this? You are wrong!

I know 2 people who have done this and they're both back as exclusives, poorer but wiser.

They either did not pick the correct Agencies or did not try hard enough

Well if you are an Indie and do nothing you will loose even more because if the other micro's see IS get away with this they will be tempted to follow suit so your entire earnings could drop not just at Istockphoto and if you are an Exclusive there it would appear that the general opinion is that the majority loose or at best have to work harder to stand still! so your choice!

I very much doubt the response to all of this will just be sit back accept and do nothing on this occasion. Think Istock have gone to far this time! I will most certainly not be giving them my support or Imagery in the future if my forecast for my future earnings based on the reduced % are correct!

Will be working as hard as I can to support their competitors

Thank you for sharing Lisa

Poor especially of late, this Thursday and Friday like a weekend and today the weekend? you do not want to know