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Masterfile and amana form partnership
Amana images Inc. of Tokyo has agreed to become the exclusive distributor of Masterfile’s rights-managed collection in Japan. amana, the largest agency in its home country, will also represent Masterfile’s RF brand, “Radius.” The deal also calls for the Masterfile’s production team to collaborate with amana to produce more images specifically for the Japanese market.
Masterfile and amana make intriguing partners. Though both are privately held, they are commonly thought to be among the largest agencies in terms of annual revenue after the “big three,” Getty, Corbis and Jupiter. The alliance clearly establishes amana’s supremacy in Japan. amana, who has previously owned part of Corbis Japan, sold off its Corbis ownership, bought rivals Orion Press and Sekai-Bunka and signed a representation deal with Getty who has its own wholly-owned office in Japan, all within a period of eight months from December of ‘05 to June of ‘06. As Masterfile President, Steve Pigeon put it, "It’s common knowledge that Japan is the second largest market in the world for visual content. And it’s common knowledge in our industry that amana is the market leader in Japan. Our licensing agreement with this powerful and respected company is a tremendous business opportunity for Masterfile and its contributing photographers – and we plan to make it equally beneficial to amana."
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