Author Topic: Photos.com and JIUUnlimited to be handled by IS (Read 54615 times)

Milinz · « **Reply #25 on:** June 15, 2009, 14:19 »

Well,

That are really BAD NEWS... I think if they kill stockxpert they will work in favour of their competition better!

Here are my thoughts: Phasing out StockXpert images from JUI/Photos.com will mean that after 90 days they will give us new contributor agreement and they will offer us same as to iStockphoto authors... IF StockXpert STAYS ALIVE for that 90 days.

So, I think I will OPT-OUT this one with Getty and stay with Fotosearch and Corbis... Well... It is not exactly all about money! There is something called screw up and I don't want to be screwed from Getty and iStock!

IF and ONLY IF all my portfolio images will be transferred to my iStockphoto portfolio I will think about to stay with Getty after this screw up!

So, King is Dead - Long Live the King!

Maui · « **Reply #26 on:** June 15, 2009, 14:19 »

Quote from: melastmohican on June 15, 2009, 14:09

So this acquisition was basically eliminating a competition. They just took only distributing channels while they were not interested in another microsite.

Yep, this is probably the death kiss for StockXpert.

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #27 on:** June 15, 2009, 14:27 »

That reads like they want to shut down StockXpert.

vonkara · « **Reply #28 on:** June 15, 2009, 14:35 »

Quote from: sjlocke on June 15, 2009, 14:27

That reads like they want to shut down StockXpert.

I hope so, StockXpert is a joke

A little reminder

abimages · « **Reply #29 on:** June 15, 2009, 14:40 »

Quote from: sjlocke on June 15, 2009, 14:27

That reads like they want to shut down StockXpert.

That's the way I read it too.

melastmohican · « **Reply #30 on:** June 15, 2009, 14:44 »

It would be interesting to know if customers receive similar letter inviting them to IS :-)

Milinz · « **Reply #31 on:** June 15, 2009, 14:49 »

Quote from: melastmohican on June 15, 2009, 14:44

It would be interesting to know if customers receive similar letter inviting them to IS :-)

YUP!

LOL!

dbvirago · « **Reply #32 on:** June 15, 2009, 14:53 »

It will be really interesting if there exists any SX contributers that have never tried to upload at IS. Go from very easy to frustratingly difficult. Add the upload limits and you are extremely hamstrung.

I don't know it's the end of XSP, but it's certainly the end of my income from Photos.com and Jupiter unlimited. This had doubled my SX income and put them in the middle of the pack. IS income fluctuates with the sorting algorithm. SX income has beat IS in 6 of the last 7 months.

ChasingMoments · « **Reply #33 on:** June 15, 2009, 14:59 »

Quote from: Maui on June 15, 2009, 14:19

Quote from: melastmohican on June 15, 2009, 14:09
So this acquisition was basically eliminating a competition. They just took only distributing channels while they were not interested in another microsite.

Yep, this is probably the death kiss for StockXpert.

+1; 50% of my meager StockXpert earnings were from JUI and Photos. Now, really... what's going to happen? Some (like me, probably), will slow down or stop uploading to StockXpert, StockXpert will be making less revenue, will eventually tank. Boohoo. I like StockXpert a lot better than IS, by the way ... IS is an earner, but, boy... quite unfair on so many levels.

dirkr · « **Reply #34 on:** June 15, 2009, 15:10 »

Quote from: sjlocke on June 15, 2009, 14:27

That reads like they want to shut down StockXpert.

And the reason for that is more than clear:

Considering my files (8,2 MP out of a Canon 30D): What sells as an XL at StockXpert for 10 Credits (which is a price for the customer from 8$ to 10$ depending on size of the credit pack) sells as L on Istock for 12 Credits (which is between 11,40$ and 18$ if I am not mistaken).

Now taking into account the different commissions:

StockXpert pays 50 cents per credit (they actually pay more than 50% for the larger credit packages), Istock pays 20% of money spent.

For Getty: What used to give them between 3$ and 5$ now gives them between 9,12$ and 14,4$.

For me: What used to bring me 5$ is now down to 2,28$ to 3,6$.

Now more questions. I really do hope that Corbis (Veer Marketplace) will be successful as competition to Getty.

Milinz · « **Reply #35 on:** June 15, 2009, 15:14 »

Quote from: dirkr on June 15, 2009, 15:10

Quote from: sjlocke on June 15, 2009, 14:27
That reads like they want to shut down StockXpert.

And the reason for that is more than clear:

Considering my files (8,2 MP out of a Canon 30D): What sells as an XL at StockXpert for 10 Credits (which is a price for the customer from 8$ to 10$ depending on size of the credit pack) sells as L on Istock for 12 Credits (which is between 11,40$ and 18$ if I am not mistaken).

Now taking into account the different commissions:

StockXpert pays 50 cents per credit (they actually pay more than 50% for the larger credit packages), Istock pays 20% of money spent.

For Getty: What used to give them between 3$ and 5$ now gives them between 9,12$ and 14,4$.

For me: What used to bring me 5$ is now down to 2,28$ to 3,6$.

Now more questions. I really do hope that Corbis (Veer Marketplace) will be successful as competition to Getty.

+1

melastmohican · « **Reply #36 on:** June 15, 2009, 15:15 »

Corbis should have bought Dreamstime instead of wasting money on SnapVillage. Now they are years behind Getty. The only threat to this empire is Shutterstock. Who is going to snap them?

puravida · « **Reply #37 on:** June 15, 2009, 15:26 »

Quote from: m@m on June 15, 2009, 13:52

Quote from: lisafx on June 15, 2009, 12:19
Disappointing news, but not surprising. I don't envision myself opting in to this through istock.

Maybe if they weren't trying to lowball us.

That makes two of us Lisa!...I wonder what's going to happen to the money we have already accumulated on StockXpert, if in 90 days they also decide to shut it down?

M@M said "what's going to happen to the money we have already accumulated on StockXpert?"
My thoughts exactly.

Incidentally, then SV moved to Veer, they paid me what I had accumulated even if it was just a few dollars and did not reach payout point.

Let's see if Getty is as honourable as Corbis in this sense.

Milinz · « **Reply #38 on:** June 15, 2009, 15:27 »

Quote from: melastmohican on June 15, 2009, 15:15

Corbis should have bought Dreamstime instead of wasting money on SnapVillage. Now they are years behind Getty. The only threat to this empire is Shutterstock. Who is going to snap them?

Well, I think Veer Marketplace will be new bay for 'not needed' on iStock - so, we'll catch up on them!

Just to get Mr Holmes on Veer Marketplace to send his 20.000+ illustrations and Corbis will win ;-)

Pixart · « **Reply #39 on:** June 15, 2009, 15:55 »

I don't know.... Istock has its exclusive content, but they don't have all of the "inferior" stuff that every other site has - so don't they need StockXpert or they aren't competing with the entire market. Unless of course they permit the photos that don't pass IS inspection to go into the subs pool anyway. But by restricting uploads to 15 per week, they aren't exactly competition for Shutterstock with "fresh".

dirkr · « **Reply #40 on:** June 15, 2009, 16:06 »

Quote from: Pixart on June 15, 2009, 15:55

I don't know.... Istock has its exclusive content, but they don't have all of the "inferior" stuff that every other site has - so don't they need StockXpert or they aren't competing with the entire market. Unless of course they permit the photos that don't pass IS inspection to go into the subs pool anyway. But by restricting uploads to 15 per week, they aren't exactly competition for Shutterstock with "fresh".

maybe they will keep StockXpert, I am just afraid they will not keep the 50% commission....

dirkr · « **Reply #41 on:** June 15, 2009, 16:10 »

One other point that has not been mentioned: What do they tell their (photos.com and JIUnlimited) customers?
Right now they will have a majority of the independent content.
If they stop the distribution via StockXpert that will be gone and be replaced with what?
The "unsold files" of Istock? Whatever will be opted in there...

I would expect a majority of Istock exclusives not opting in anything and probably most independents the same.

So what's left to distribute via photos.com and JIU will be significantly less than today.

Does this help to sell more subscriptions?

What else do they plan for the future?

madelaide · « **Reply #42 on:** June 15, 2009, 16:10 »

I wonder if the next announcement will say StockXpert will be shut down? I will be greatly disappointed.

PS: I'm opted out. so this news per se doesn't affect me.

dirkr · « **Reply #43 on:** June 15, 2009, 16:13 »

Quote from: madelaide on June 15, 2009, 16:10

I wonder if the next announcement will say StockXpert will be shut down?

Either that or "sorry, but we must comply with the Getty standard commission of 20% bla bla bla, but it will be so great for you all, Whoo Yay !!!"

RT · « **Reply #44 on:** June 15, 2009, 17:21 »

Don't say I didn't warn you: http://www.microstockgroup.com/istockphoto-com/update-about-subs-(istock-vs-photos-com)/msg99109/#msg99109

Milinz · « **Reply #45 on:** June 15, 2009, 18:01 »

Apply to istock? 7th time? NO WAY!

20% commission? NO WAY!

Getty on this way? NO WAY!

cathyslife · « **Reply #46 on:** June 15, 2009, 18:23 »

Well, there you go. I figured something like this was going to happen. And I also believed this was a buy to eliminate competition, just like Getty buying istock was. Except istock was the biggest and best, so they're keeping it. I believe they will keep going with the buyouts, until there isn't any viable competition.

I was opted out at istock, will remain opted out at istock. I also uploaded to Veer...hopefully I will be accepted and that place will make money.

Phil · « **Reply #47 on:** June 15, 2009, 18:26 »

lets see,

the main reasoning given for istock to photos.com was to improve the quality of offering on photos.com. So having entire the portfolios of Yuri, Andres, matka, iofoto etc etc isn't a good enough image base for photos.com so they will delete them and fill the site with the images that haven't sold on istock in 18 months? somehow this will improve the quality of photos.com

am I missing something here?

otherwise I predict before June 30 next year there will be a very major announcement and change towards photos.com as someone realises that they it still just aint working...

Phil · « **Reply #48 on:** June 15, 2009, 18:31 »

Quote from: madelaide on June 15, 2009, 16:10

I wonder if the next announcement will say StockXpert will be shut down? I will be greatly disappointed.

PS: I'm opted out. so this news per se doesn't affect me.

I would expect that they have been given the show profitably and show that your not encroaching too much on istocks market (where they make more). With the statement to start moving over to istock I think that within 12 months it will gone (I hope not). I also wouldn't be surprised if we see in the meantime a restructure of commissions like on FT, there would be people who would be saying that the commission is just too high for a getty company.

hqimages · « **Reply #49 on:** June 15, 2009, 18:39 »

I really had faith in this site, but after JUI got involved, the writing was on the wall, it should have remained independent if it was truly looking out for the best deal for contributors (I think I was naive to believe that day 1)

v.disappointed..

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Author Topic: Photos.com and JIUUnlimited to be handled by IS (Read 54615 times)

Milinz

Maui

Sean Locke Photography

vonkara

abimages

melastmohican

Milinz

dbvirago

ChasingMoments

dirkr

Milinz

melastmohican

puravida

Milinz

Pixart

dirkr

dirkr

madelaide

dirkr

RT

Milinz

cathyslife

Phil

Phil

hqimages

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