Quote from: Elenathewise on March 25, 2011, 17:04
Sigh... Soon they gonna make 7-year-olds sing - that market is still unexplored, right? And after that - toddlers.

they already made a 4 years old sing some years ago...

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-7981440458196378946#

just got this in the inbox:

Quote from: FREE business cards for Fotolia's (Silver/Gold/Emerald/Sapphire/Rubis) Contributors.

We thank you for being a valued contributor to the Fotolia.com community.

50 Customized Business Cards:

Using MOO's Printfinity technology, you can upload a different image for each and every business card. Then, enter all your personal contact information for the other side. Show off your work as you make new business contacts. Since each card is unique, it's like carrying your portfolio in your pocket!

The cost of the cards is free - pay only shipping. Valid for Fotolia contributors only - please do not forward this message. This offer is valid until June 15, 2010, or while quantities last.

Ready to start creating your cards? Click here and start creating your cards now!

and then on the side column it says:

Quote
FREE PACK OF MOO BUSINESS CARDS

For our top contributors: 50 FREE Business Cards with free shipping.

Limited quantities are available. This offer expires June 15, 2010, or while quantities last.

so... the free shipping is only for top contributors? (i'm sure I'm not one of them)


btw, the links on the email send me to a 404 page      so I guess no cards for me...

Quote from: http://uk.moo.com/en/partner/fotolia
Oh no! It's a 404!

The page you're looking for isn't here. We're so sorry. Hopefully one of these might be useful:
Go to moo.com
See our lovely products

MOO.

Always worrying on your behalf.

same here

Galastock
AreaImage

Quote from: cuppacoffee on March 27, 2010, 01:05
Hmmm, This Level 5 image on DT is the same one being listed as free (premium) on PhotoXpress (from andresr)
http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photo-business-solutions-image1953515
http://www.photoxpress.com/id/2436776

i think they are also a reseller/affiliate of fotolia regular collection, not just a free site.
same andresr's image, on FT: http://www.fotolia.com/id/2436776 (same number as photoxpress)

i also found some of mine in photoxpress' "premium collection", with the same image numbers as in FT

Quote from: philipus on March 21, 2010, 09:44
Anybody got paid in the last days? My payout request is pending since 28.02.    What happens at fotolia?

I got paid on Thursday (one day after I sent a note to Support asking if everything was OK). it was pending since Feb 25th.

payment pending since february 25th.
20 days: new record...

works fine from here. (or here)

I'm waiting since the 4th too (but via Moneybookers). A week ago I received the usual "we're processing as fast as we can assuring the payments are done accurately... bla bla bla". Contacted support again yesterday...

edit: just got the exact same reply as before: "We apologize for the delay due to the holidays. Our payment department is currently processing these payments as fast as they can making sure that they are done accurately after they have been validated."     

I would understand the Holidays part if I were to request a payment now (I would, if they allowed me), but what holidays have they been celebrating since beginnings of the month?

yep, all "his" images seem gone. that was fast.

Quote from: designalldone on December 04, 2009, 10:10
(...)
I'd just like to know exactly when they will start withholding the money?....

from the Fotolia newsletter:

QuoteHOW MUCH TIME DO I HAVE TO COMPLY?

We encourage you to complete this procedure as soon as possible. However, in order to allow enough time to our contributors, withholding will be activated on January 1, 2010. After this date, withholding will be applicable on all payments.

Thanks guys,

I contacted the site, and the site's owner replied that he contacted the seller and if he doesn't get an answer in 48 hrs he'll take down the images.

now i'll wait to see what happens.

if someone else has images there (or know someone who does) I'd say contact them. I used the contact form on the site and got the reply in a couple of hours.

i have these in my bookmarks. hope it helps.

http://arcurs.com/keywording/
http://www.findphotokeywords.com/
http://www.stockkeywords.com/
http://www.deepmeta.com/Tools/Wizard/

hi, I just found two of my images for sale by someone else (from sri lanka) at a site I've never heard of before.

original:http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup.php?id=3378963
stolen: http://www.cashmyjunkfiles.com/catalog/7049.html (btw, badly screwed up color profile)

original: http://www.dreamstime.com/cellphone015icons3-image1303273
stolen: http://www.cashmyjunkfiles.com/catalog/6967.html (again, screwed up colors)

thief's gallery: http://www.cashmyjunkfiles.com/portfolio/vectorman.html
you may want to check if there is any of your vectors there, i know i've seen this one on ss for example: http://www.cashmyjunkfiles.com/catalog/7009.html

has anyone heard of that site? is it legit?
any ideas? (besides contacting them)




ps. this is the first time i found an image of mine stolen... I should be happy i'm worth stealing from, rigth?

hi guys and gals,

you may want to be careful with the meaning of that may:
reading the spanish version of the tax center (http://es.fotolia.com/Member/TaxCenter) I get the impression that although you can submit without the ITIN, you'll only get a reduced withholding rate on USA sales if you submit the form with the ITIN.

it actually reads:

Quote from: http://es.fotolia.com/Member/TaxCenterRESIDENTE DE UN PAÍS CON TRATADO FISCAL CON USA
Si es usted residente en un país con tratado fiscal con USA, envíe el formulario W-8 BEN. De acuerdo al tratado impositivo correspondiente, se beneficiará de tasas reducidas o incluso ninguna tasa. Aconsejamos que consiga un TIN para beneficiarse de reducciones o cero tasas, completando el formulario SS-4 o el Form W-7. Todos estos formularios deben ser enviados directamente a la agencia IRS, no a Fotolia. SS-4 ( SS-4 Instrucciones ) o W-7 . Este formulario debe ser enviado directamente a IRS, no a Fotolia.
Por favor, recuerde que un formulario W-8BEN puede ser enviado sin número TIN. El TIN permite al colaborador beneficiarse de los beneficios del tratado para reducir o eliminar retenciones en los beneficios USA. El TIN no es obligatorio para beneficios fuera de USA.

which in english would be:

Quote from: my (attemp of) translation
RESIDENTS IN A COUNTRY WITH FISCAL TREATY WITH THE USA
If you are resident in a country with a fiscal treaty with the USA, send the form W-8 BEN. According to the respective fiscal treaty you'll benefit from reduced tax or even no tax. We advice you to get a TIN to benefit of reductions or zero taxes, by filling the form SS-4 of form W-7. All these forms must be sent directly to the IRS, not Fotolia.
Please, remember that a form W-8BEN may be sent without TIN number. The TIN allows the contributor to benefit with the benefits of the treaty to reduce or eliminate withholding from USA benefits. The TIN is not mandatory for benefits outside USA.

Fotolia really needs to explain these things in plain english.. or spanish, or... whatever, or at least be consistent in all languages.

they (finally) sent a newsletter on this:

QuoteSpecial Announcement - Withholding Tax Forms and Information

Dear Contributors,

Selling stock images is an economic activity and, as a Fotolia Contributor, income derived from sales in the U.S. may be subject to U.S. IRS (Internal Revenue Service) Withholding Tax. It is important Fotolia, and our contributors, comply with tax law.

While Fotolia cannot give tax or legal advice, our objective is to assist you in determining which form may be completed to comply with U.S. Withholding Tax law. Forms are now available in the Tax Center to assist contributors in determining their tax compliance.

Please review the information. We encourage you to contact your tax or legal advisor for assistance.

WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE?

First - Verify all information in your account profile is current and accurate. If not, please update.

Second - Determine the applicable form to complete and submit to Fotolia. Certain information will be confirmed with the U.S. IRS (Internal Revenue Service).

FORMS

Compliance is based on many factors and the following information may assist you in this process.

In some cases, a contributor will benefit from reduced or eliminated withholding by obtaining a U.S. TIN (Taxpayer Identification Number). Forms SS-4 and W-7 are available in our Tax Center to assist. Please consult with your advisors to determine the proper form to complete.

The SS-4 and W-7 forms must be submitted directly to the IRS, not Fotolia.

Please keep in mind - a contributor who does not submit to Fotolia an IRS Withholding Tax Form - all income will be subject to tax withholding at the applicable tax rate.

WHICH FORM DO I SUBMIT?

We listed two general categories to assist you in identifying the proper form. These guidelines may help you determine which form is applicable to your situation. In all cases, we recommend you contact your tax or legal advisor.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

If you are an individual

- You are a US citizen or a resident alien > Form W-9 would typically be appropriate.
- You are a resident of a country that has a tax treaty with the USA > Form W-8BEN would typically be appropriate.
- You are a resident of a country that does not have a tax treaty with the USA > Form W-8BEN would typically be appropriate.

Foreign residents note - in some cases Form W-8ECI or Form W-8IMY may be appropriate.

If you are not an individual

- Your entity is organized under US law > Form W-9 would typically be appropriate.
- Your entity is not organized under US law > Form W-8BEN, W-8ECI, W-8IMY or W-8EXP may be appropriate, depending on the situation. Please ask your tax advisor to determine which form is applicable to your situation.

For more information about the forms, please visit the Tax Center .
Once you determined the appropriate form, you can submit Forms W-9, W-8BEN, W-8ECI, W-8IMY and W-8EXP online.


WITHHOLDING RATES

Submitted Withholding Tax forms will be validated and the appropriate tax treatment applied to your income. The following general rules apply:

- U.S. taxpayers typically are not subject to withholding on their Fotolia income.
- Foreign residents, with the appropriate validated form, are not subject to withholding tax on sales outside the U.S.. Additionally, an ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) is not required.
- Foreign residents in a Tax Treaty Country with the U.S., with the appropriate validated form, including ITIN, benefit from zero or reduced withholding.
- Foreign residents in a non-Tax Treaty Country with the U.S., with the appropriate validated form, will be subject to 30% withholding tax on U.S, source income. An ITIN is not required and withholding tax will not apply to sales outside the U.S.

Regardless of residency or type - no Form will automatically result in tax withholding on all Fotolia income.

COUNTRIES WITH TAX TREATIES

Countries with U.S. Tax Treaties and their respective rates are available in the Tax Center .

HOW MUCH TIME DO I HAVE TO COMPLY?

We encourage you to complete this procedure as soon as possible. However, in order to allow enough time to our contributors, withholding will be activated on January 1, 2010. After this date, withholding will be applicable on all payments.

For more information, please visit the Tax Center.

what? is that new? (I haven't received any email from them on this).
I thought tax withholding was only with American companies (isn't FT French?)

if you uploaded vectors, specifically large ones (let's say more than a couple mb) sometimes it takes a couple of hours to appear, but i think i never had a file lost at CanStockPhoto.
Also if you have a sign that says something like "you currently have X images processing, please come back in a minute" don't take that minute literally: it may mean days (but I haven't seen that sign in a while, maybe it's fixed)

a whois on efotto.com says the same person has registered http://aziz-annabi.com/, which derivates in http://boutique.broardell.com/epages/228015.sf which has the same BroarDell branding than efotto and apparently is a printing company in Belgium. and has some telephone numbers at the botton of the page

QuoteBroarDell est une société de droit belge travaillant surtout en France et en Belgique, inscrite au moniteur belge: Numéro d'entreprise : 0472 941 118 - N° de T.V.A.BE-472941118
Immatriculée le 05 octobre 2000  - Siège social: Place Mansart 23 - 7100 La Louvière - Belgium
Téléphone Belgique: 04.85 30.13.54 - Téléphone France: 01.77.62.42.61
Livraisons partout en Europe
Enlèvements possibles à Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Nancy, Strasbourg, Bordeaux et à Bruxelles.

Does someone speaks French and wants to call and ask where the images come from or if they have an agreement or something?

I'm not sure I understand, but if you go to http://submit.shutterstock.com/payment_history.mhtml you can see how much was withheld from previous payments. the sum of the previous withholds + the ongoing month total = the Gross Earnings you see at the bottom of the stats page.
I don't know how that will count as the withheld money grows, but I guess they should only count the month income minus the withheld for that month when calculating payout.
btw, if you are not sure if the withhold will make you fall short of the $100 mark, you can lower your minimum payout to $75

apparently they postponed the removal for 10 days. now it reads:

QuoteAlert: This image will not be available to download or license after November 12.

Quote from: rlboston2009 on October 13, 2009, 15:51
It is a point and shoot, Canon Sureshot A650, my film slr just died recently although I have uploaded some film shots. I realize there are limitations with the lens, but if there are workarounds, things to avoid, or if it's actually something I'm doing in processing that would be very helpful to know.

hi, I have a Canon A650 and while it's a great little camera, it's kinda hard to take a stock photo with it: It's noisy even at lowest ISO (the sensor is so dense that the camera will apply noise reduction and the photos end up looking soft/mushy), it will blow highlights easily, and you can't stop down much to get rid of CA/PF because you'll start having problems with diffraction.
Having said that, is still possible to have pictures taken with it approved (but it won't be easy).
You can try installing the CHDK (http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK), which will let you shoot in raw (not as good as raw from a DSRL, but still better that a jpg), but still you'll have to downsize the images before submitting most of the times.

here's what I do to make calendars:
in Corel/Illustrator/inkscape start with something like this (see attached file), define the spacing between rows and columns at the beginning, then move the part in blue left or right to match the month you want, copy the part you need and paste it somewhere else, and repeat for next month. not as easy as an automatic calendar creator or a template, but still relatively easy and fully customizable.

Quote from: madelaide on September 25, 2009, 22:06

Quote from: b79 on September 25, 2009, 17:01
[sarcasm] we have really nice, efficient and honest banks here....    [/sarcasm]

I don't know if these high fees are defined by the banks or by the government.   

For what I know the bank fee is defined by the bank, (but government regularions have probably some incidence on the final price).
either way, there aren't any nice or honest banks or government here

Quote from: borg on September 25, 2009, 12:23

Quote from: b79 on September 25, 2009, 01:55

Quote from: madelaide on September 24, 2009, 22:09

Quote from: b79 on September 24, 2009, 18:01
to a local bank which does the currency conversion to Pesos, charges me a fee for the transfer.

B79, does the government charge you for these deposits in your bank account? I know our government does, and as far as I know it is not little.

for the transfers there is a USD 3 +IVA (VAT, 21%) fee for a central bank form that I have to fill  that the bank charges me along with their fee (USD40 + IVA) . and then there's the rest of the taxes (that don't discriminate if the income is generated here or abroad)

What!?

40 bucks + tax only for trasfer deposit? 

yep


[sarcasm] we have really nice, efficient and honest banks here....    [/sarcasm]