Thanks for your help, folks.

Not sure whether it all is going to do any good. I don't see that he is reselling the image. He is only offering it for download to other people. I'm going to do some more investigating.

I am really looking forward to my payout...all $2.40 of it!

but I realize this is probably my fault... overtaxing the computer's specs.  So I recently doubled the memory and it hasn't happened since,

I am surprised you would have that issue, too. I have not found that to be true. But your solution was a good one...PS is a memory hog and you really need tons of RAM for this kind of work. I think that would true of any computer, Mac or PC.

I know this topic was just discussed within the last couple of months...I looked for the thread but just couldn't find it.

I found my best-selling image on DeviantArt, through Tineye search. You can see it here:

http://girafgiraf.deviantart.com/art/Personified-Corn-142763973

So they have taken my ear of corn image and put eyes and a mouth on it and now it is a derivative image. OK. If they bought the image with the correct license (I have my doubts about that), they can do what they have done with the proper license. If they did not purchase the image, of course they have not asked my permission to use it.

I believe, though, that they cannot offer this for download to other people whether they bought a license or not. Am I correct?

I also don't see how they can use my image and then post their copyright underneath the derivative. I emailed DeviantArt on this and they said that the copyright he posted under his derivative work only covers his changes (eyes and mouth). If that is true, that kind of sucks. At least I think he should be required to state that the ear of corn is my copyright.

I can see one more addition to my Advantages side of going exclusive. It's too difficult to track whether people have downloaded correct licenses when I am on so many sites.

Your help and opinions on this are much appreciated.

edit: I just found the other thread about this same topic here: http://www.microstockgroup.com/image-sleuth/my-image-on-deviantart-is-this-ok/

This person doesn't seem to be selling his masterpiece, just letting others use it. So has he violated any of my copyright rights? Just asking for opinions.

I think that there are three types of buyers: 1. higher end agency-type businesses, large companies, etc. 2. small business and 3. individuals. I think that IS caters to 1. and some of 2. and therefore the price increase will not matter too much. I think that for part of groups 2. and 3., price matters. I think that some of the 2. and 3. group that currently buy at IS will migrate over to the other sites.

My opinion is that IS will likely lose some buyers, but their price increase will fill in the gap left by that loss. They will continue to make money. I think that the other sites will see some increase in business, but unless they advertise on the scale that istock has done in the past, they will remain where they are, behind IS. If one of those sites decided to wage war, I think they stand a good chance of giving IS a run for their money. I like to root for the underdogs.

After looking into my crystal ball, that's what I came up with. Just my opinion, though. I might need a new crystal ball.

Sometimes I get emails, sometimes I don't. Seems intermittent.

Now I know it hangs and crashes like Windows or Linux. Overall I am still positive. I am messing it up, installing hundreds of apps which I probably do not need.

I have been using Macs since the late 80s, and in my experience hangs and crashes are rare, NOTHING like Windows or a PC (I have worked on those, too). The key is exactly what you stated above. You need to limit the third party software you install. If you shut your computer off at night, it may not be running the maintenance scripts that it needs to. Download Cocktail or a similar program (there is even a free one) or leave your computer on all the time and it will do it automatically.

See this link:
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/maintscripts.html

P.S. Welcome to the bright side!

In my opinion the "too similar" rejection should go for photos that are mostly identical. Guy facing the camera with red cup in his hand and same guy facing the camera in identical position, with yellow cup in his hand. Those that differ only by irrelevant aspects. The shot examples given by NitorPhoto with the woman in the office are perfectly acceptable in my view.

Ditto this.

The photos I saw yesterday had MINOR changes, like four fingers were showing on a hand instead of three. It reminded me of that game where you get 2 photos and you have to pick out 10 differences between them. I had a hard time figuring out how one photo was different than another.

By the way, I was searching again this morning. I searched on DT for female AND wrist AND watch. I ran across another portfolio with a ton of similars. There were differences, but from a buyers perspective, the differences were not that great. I could easily pick out a better of the two or three similars.

I do agree that the reviewers do not always do the right thing. I also know that some contributors flood the system, in the hopes that quantity puts them farther up in the search results, percentage wise. Many good points on both sides of this discussion.

As a buyer, I was searching yesterday for an image to use in a project I am working on. I came across multiple downloads, and I mean about 20 photos, from one contributor. All the same subject, all practically identical. I was searching the DT site and one other, but I don't recall which site it was on. Whichever site it was, I was amazed that they all got through. There was no way a person would download more than one or two of this series, they were that close. The rest of the shots were just taking up reviewers time, space on the site, and my time sorting through them.

Not insinuating that yours are that way, sharpshot, just relating the frustration for buyers that comes when contributors are allowed to upload a ton of similar images.

I got a rejection one time for a photo being similar to something else in my portfolio. I accidentally named it exactly the same as one already in there. The shot was the same subject as some already uploaded, but the angle, etc. was way different than others. As soon as I renamed it and resubmitted, it was accepted.

@CC,
I know you're contemplating exclusivity with IS right now. Smiley
It is probably the right thing to do and I genuinely wish you all the luck with completing the necessary steps in a satisfactory manner.

Just to be clear...
I have been considering it, but I have not made a definite decision either way. I am not convinced (yet) that it is the right thing to do. We shall see what transpires over the next couple of months.

But that's 100%, positively, WRONG, based on everything we've read in this thread.

Please realize I don't know any more than anyone else here and this is strictly my opinion, but maybe that grandfathering offer is different for different people? Maybe it depends on the size of your port, subject matter, number of downloads, etc.? That's one reason I can see for different people getting different answers.

IS has never been transparent. They lock threads and/or delete them when you ask too many questions, they have in the past insisted that exclusives don't get special treatment other than what they make public, but we all know how the best match changes, etc. They keep their business pretty close to their chest. We know what they want us to know. If I were going to be silly, I would even say that when a person becomes exclusive, they must sign a code of honor that forbids them from speaking and revealing all of Getty's internal secrets or a curse will be cast upon them. (I am kidding here, people)

I can't say that I find one person's answer to the inquiry different than someone else's all that surprising. And to be fair to IS, if I were requesting that canister grandfathering, I would hope that my past performance, portfolio, etc. would be evaluated differently than, say, a person with 20 images in their port and no downloads. There is a caste system at IS and it is just the way the game is played. You're either on board with the games, or you're not. They are looking for the best contributors. Like it or not, some folks are going to be disqualified and sent to the bench.

Heck I don't even know if I were to apply for exclusivity, I would get it. It's not like I'm an sjlocke or anything.

Oh my gosh, my balance was around 2.00 when I went to lunch. Just checked now after seeing this thread and I have $113.00! Wow, Santa was here! This is awesome, considering I didn't even make payout for Dec.