Archives: May, 2006
News
Anness Publishing launches new stock photo resource for publishers
UK Based independent publisher Anness Publishing Ltd. has launched a new website to offer many of the images from its publications for licensing. The new site Practical Pictures currently offers 75,000 images from Anness Publishing’s library of more than 500,000 images covering a broad range of categories including Food, Drink, Gardening, Children, Health, New Age, Animals, Home, Reference, Sport and Crafts. Anness Publishing’s background gives Practical Pictures a unique character: it is the only photo-library that offers images, text, step-by-step shots, and instructions in one package. Account Manager Joanna Heygate explains, "We have sold over 100,000,000 books in the past few years in more than 60 countries - so the images and text for the tens of thousands of step-by-step cooking recipes, craft projects and DIY and gardening techniques we are now selling for third-party use has been strenuously market tested and has our customers' seal of approval round the globe for 100% reliability and accuracy." Click here to visit the Practical Pictures site for more information.
News
A21 raises $15.5MM Private Investment
A21, Inc., owner of SuperStock, PureStock, and Ingram Publishing, has raised $15.5 million in the form of a private placement of Secured Convertible Notes with both existing investors and new institutional investors. Most notable among the latter, Morgan Stanley, purchased $5 million of the Notes. The Notes, due March 2011, bear interest at 5% per annum, and are convertible into shares of the Company's common stock at $0.65 per share, which was about A21’s stock price as of the end of trading last week. The Company will use the proceeds to repay existing debt, to provide working capital, and for acquisitions and expansion. Chairman and CEO of a21, Albert H. Pleus, said, “We are pleased that this investor group recognizes the progress the Company has made by electing to complete this financing at a premium to the current market price of our common stock." He added, "While about 50% of the Notes were purchased by our existing investors, we have also added some very important new investors to the Company. The financing allows us to improve our capital structure, retire certain outstanding warrants, strengthen our balance sheet, and support the next phase of the Company's growth." Click here for more details.
News
Jupiter has acquired German agency IFA Bilderteam
Jupiter Images has announced that it has acquired all of the shares of the Munich Germny based stock photo agency IFA Bilderteam GmbH. Ifa Bilderteam is known to have a strong presence offering Rights Managed images in the German market and fits with Jupiter’s plans to focus on acquiring companies with a strong sales operation rather than last years strategy of acquiring companies with significant new content to add to the Jupiter offering. Jupiter appears to be attempting to replicate the success it had last year in acquiring a number of French companies (Agence Images, Stock Image, GoodShoot, PR Direct) with strong sales operations giving Jupiter a dominant postion in the market. "Combining our strong royalty-free presence in Germany with IFA's strong rights-managed presence creates a terrific base of operations to grow all of our Jupiterimages' brands in Germany, Austria and German speaking Switzerland. This plan is based on what we have successfully been implementing in France over the previous year," stated Alan M. Meckler, Chairman and CEO of Jupitermedia. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Click here to view the original press release.
News
Getty acquires Italian distributor Laura Ronchi
Getty Images has announced the acquisition of Milan based Laura Ronchi, S.p.A., its largest master delegate. Laura Ronchi has been a key partner distributing Getty Images content in the Italian market since 1995. Getty Images has been criticized recently for its lack of growth in domestic channels, specifically RF single image sales, and appears to be looking to make up for lagging sales at home in overseas markets. Currently the Italian market is estimated to be the sixth-largest advertising market worldwide and one of Getty's fastest growing international markets with more than 30% growth in 4Q05 and 1Q06. "This acquisition helps us accelerate our reach into non-English speaking markets, which is a key focus area for our business in 2006," said Bo Olofsson, Senior Vice President of Sales for Getty Images. "Growth in the Italian market and the overall size of the opportunity strongly support this investment. By replicating our proven direct model and working closer with the Laura Ronchi, S.p.A. team, we plan to enrich the growth prospects for all our product and service lines in the region." Laura Ronchi, who founded her business in 1987, will serve as the Vice President of Sales Italy, reporting to Bo Olofsson. The deal was a cash transaction but specific details were not disclosed. Click here for the original press release.
News
Fotolia signs partnership with 1&1 Internet
1&1 Internet, Inc. has announced a strategic partnership with the micropayment site Fotolia to begin offering Stock photography for as little as $1 with a 25% discount for 1&1 customers. Fotolia currently offers more than 620,000 Royalty Free images. “We are offering our hosting customers easy access and financial advantages to legal and inexpensive images for their websites.” says Andreas Gauger, Chairman, 1&1 Internet. Oleg Tscheltzoff, President of Fotolia, adds: “1&1 Internet has a lot of users who are always in need of images for illustrating websites, blogs, newsletters, presentations, print catalogs, or advertising and we will try to help them save up to 90% of their current budget for images.” Click here for more details.
Press Release: NBC Universal Initiates New Image Asset Archive And Distribution Strategy
Kevin Fitzgerald Named to Head New Digital Media Distribution Group, Reporting to Ray Slay, V.P., NBC Universal Photography and New Media.
BURBANK, Calif. – June 2, 2006 -- NBC Universal has announced the creation of a new Digital Media Distribution Group, which will actively develop, digitize, manage and distribute its archival photo assets.
Making the announcement, Ray Slay, Vice President, NBC Universal Photography and New Media, said, “NBC Universal’s photo archives represent an extremely valuable business and historical asset, and we are very pleased to announce the creation of this distribution and licensing strategy which will allow us to better service photos at the same time that we adequately preserve and protect this important asset.”
This new business unit will maximize efforts to digitize the valuable and exclusive NBC Universal photo archive dating back to the 1940s and the era of NBC Radio, and will initiate a new company-controlled online digital image distribution and licensing strategy beginning in July 2006.
Kevin Fitzgerald, Vice President, Digital Media Distribution, has been named to head the newly established distribution and licensing initiative. He will report directly to Slay.
During the interim prior to the launch of the new online image platform, NBC Universal archive images will be available to be licensed by bona fide business clients for editorial or approved commercial uses by contacting either Fitzgerald or Stacie McChesney (see contact information below). Please note that NBC Universal archival images can no longer be licensed through Globe Photos and can only be acquired through this new channel.
For more information or to license NBC Universal photographs, please contact:
Kevin Fitzgerald Stacie McChesney
Phone: 818-840-3924 Phone: 818-840-6038
E-mail: E-mail:
Media Contact:
Cathryn Boxberger, NBC Entertainment Publicity, 818/840-3438
News
ASMP lobbies copyright office for simplified registration
The American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) recently sat down with the US Copyright office to request changes in how photographs are registered. ASMP would like to see registration from within future DAM applications to make it easier for photographers to register their work. "With on-line registration on the near horizon, this feature will make it much easier to actually register your copyright and more fully protect your images," said Richard Anderson, chair of ASMP's Digital Standards Committee and principal author of the Universal Photographic Digital Imaging Guidelines (UPDIG) document. Click here to view the original press release.
Features
Corbis representing The Da Vinci Code photo library
For those who are looking to license images from the blockbuster movie The Da Vinci Code or for images of artwork by Da Vinci, Corbis is now offering exclusive access to the entire collection. The images vary from movie settings with superstars Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou, to any number of Da Vinci's works, including a high quality image of the Mona Lisa. Corbis has heard from a number of clients that its version of the Mona Lisa is the highest quality photo available outside of the Louvre. The company had the transparency specially rescanned, meticulously removing all dust and scratches, and then carefully adjusted the color balance. While other stock photography providers offer the Mona Lisa, they tend to be scans from second, third and sometimes even fourth generation photos. The Da Vinci Code' has a strong global appeal and Corbis has already licensed many of the images to customers around the world. Click here for more details.
News
NewsCom representing Congressional Quarterly
NewsCom, has announced a new partnership with Congressional Quarterly (CQ) to represent congressional photos. Congressional Quarterly has been the leading publisher of news and information on public policy and government since 1945 and has created an extensive library of congressional imagery. “NewsCom’s mission is to provide its customers with fresh and relevant material, and Congressional Quarterly’s photos offer an insider’s view of the workings of Capitol Hill,” said NewsCom General Manager Bill Creighton. NewsCom is the first agency to distribute CQ photos, which is known as a reputable source of news and imagery from Capitol Hill. Click here to view the original press release.
News
Contact Press Images to use PhotoShelter
Online image archiving and distribution technology provider, PhotoShelter, has won an impressive client, Contact Press Images. Contact Press members include legendary photojournalists David Burnett, Annie Leibovitz and Sebastião Salgado, among others. For PhotoShelter, the deal with such a respected photographer organization represents a significant accomplishment. "We're thrilled that Contact has been added to our growing list of clients," said Allen Murabayashi, CEO of BitShelter, LLC, the creators of PhotoShelter. "Contact's archive is a monumental collection of images spanning 30 years of incredible history and representing a range of talent that reads like a veritable Who's Who of documentary photography."
News
Masterfile sets up European art department
At the beginning of May, the Canadian picture agency Masterfile set up a separate art department responsible for the entire European market at its European headquarters in Düsseldorf. It has its own offices with its own budget and photographers and the aim is to look after the company’s European photographers and expand the European section of its picture collection.
News
Jupiter reports record sales for 1Q06
Margins down. Meckler sees growth in new markets.
Jupiter Images reported a year over year gross revenue increase of 72% from 1Q05 to 1Q06, posting record revenue of $33.9MM in the most recent quarter. Operating margins, however, declined. Management attributes the lower operating margins to seasonal weakness in the Online Media division, increased salary expense for new hires in both the Sales and IT areas and, to a lesser degree, an unfavorable change in the mix of wholly-owned vs. commission-generating images sold. Management says most of the sales personnel come to the company from the competition. It now has a staff over 150 employees world-wide as opposed to about 70 a year ago. The company also states that it will fully recover from the loss of revenue caused by Getty discontinuing the marketing of all Jupiter-owned collections by the end of the second quarter. (The PictureArts RF collection, BrandX, came down completely from Getty's site as of January 2006)
News
Corbis unveils new simplified website
Corbis has announced a major overhaul of its website with the main improvements focused on making the site more simple and user-friendly. The difference does not seem like a big deal until you start using the site and realize that Corbis has refined and simplified a lot of the little annoying things that have plagued designers in the past. Also, Corbis seems to have acknowledged that some users like to browse rather than search and has taken steps to make the content easier to browse by categories, particularly on the RF page. “We have been actively listening to our customers to better gauge their current and future needs. The new site design incorporates their feedback,” said Mike Dusche, Corbis’ vice president of customer experience. “These changes are the first in a series of steps we are taking to revolutionize our customers’ online experience.”
News
Masterfile launches royalty free image collection
Toronto Canada based Masterfile has announced the launch of a new Royalty Free image collection called Radius Images. Masterfile has long been known as a top source for Rights Managed content and true to its background has emphasized that the new collection will be a premium collection with premium pricing. The new images will come primarily from photographers with a limited selection that will be produced by Masterfile. To manage the new brand Kathleen Canales has been appointed Channel Manager with a mission to begin building a network of distributors and is currently looking to meet with interested parties at the CEPIC conference next month in Biarritz France.
News
OnRequest Images launches Visual Brand Project
Shortly after launching "OnRequest OnPro" a custom photography production platform, OnRequest Images has started "The Visual Brand Project" a new initiative to measure the economic impact photography has on a brand. This project will attempt to define the value of a photograph by analyzing information from think-tank sessions, industry surveys, public discussion forums, interviews with brand, marketing, and creative leaders, and a series of quantitative studies. The goal for this project will be to establish a baseline for measuring how brands are visually represented through photography. "Iconic brands such as Apple and Nike understand the importance of using compelling and unique imagery as a core component of their brand building efforts," said David Norris, CEO of OnRequest Images. "While every marketer understands that images represent an important part of their brand building efforts, they lack practical ways to measure the financial impact that images make on their overall brand value. This initiative will provide companies with an important set of best practices for improving brand imagery and tools for determining the return-on-investment for their image expenditures."
News
a21 reports 1st quarter 2006 financial results
A21 Group, owner of SuperStock, PureStock, and Ingram Publishing, posted $2,935K in revenue for the first quarter of 2006, a 27% increase over the first quarter of last year. The company credits 90% of the increase ($561K) to the acquisition of Ingram Publishing which took place in October of last year. This indicates the company achieved only 2.7% organic growth in revenue from 1Q 2005 to 1Q 2006. The company's gross profit margin remained unchanged from the 2005 to the 2006 period at just over 69%.
News
a21 has acquired ArtSelect
Jacksonville Florida based a21 Inc, owner of SuperStock, PureStock, and Ingram Publishing, has announced the acquisition of ArtSelect one of the leading companies offering wall décor and fine art prints online. The Fairfield Iowa based, ArtSelect, employs approx 65 employees providing private label online technology and fulfillment infrastructure to catalogers, retailers and distributors to allow them to offer custom framed art to their end-customers. a21 is touting that ArtSelect earned $12 million in revenue for 2005 giving a21 a revenue increase of approximately 100%. To complete the purchase a21 paid $4.5 million in cash, $2.35 million in three year 6% interest only notes, $3.15 million in a21 Series A Convertible Preferred shares (with a conversion floor of $0.75 per a21 common share), and a four year warrant to purchase 750,000 a21 common shares at $1.00 per share.
News
Digital Railroad expands support of PLUS Coalition
Digital Railroad has expanded its collaboration with the PLUS Coalition by raising its membership in the coalition to the highest possible level, that of Charter Sustaining Member, and has become part of the elite PLUS Leadership Circle. This announcement implies that DigitalRailroad has increased its level of financial contribution to PLUS, though the exact amount was not disclosed. The move by DigitalRailroad makes sense from several angles. Like any company engaged in the licensing of images, DR will benefit from the accomplishment of the PLUS Coalition goal to improve image licensing processes by creating an integrated system of universal licensing standards. Such standards would clearly simplify the on-line marketing and licensing of images that users of DR's technology engage in. In addition, the move raises DR's profile among the various groups already associated with PLUS, which includes potential users of DR's technology from both the photographer and the client side.
Click here to view the original press release.
Features
Getty Images featuring 2006 FIFA World Cup photography
Getty Images has launched a World Cup gallery to help publishers who have gone football (soccer) crazy. The gallery allows publishers looking for images to browse through World Cup images including, live action shots, images of the venues, and even general RF content related to the events. Earlier this year, the International Football Federation (FIFA) had attempted to impose restrictions on news agencies reporting on the games, prohibiting the release or publication of any press-photos until at least one hour after the end of each match and limiting how many photos may be published through on-line media. The World Association of Newspapers (WAN) which represented the interests of several press agencies including Getty Images, Agence France Press, Associated Press, and Reuters, objected to the limits and a mediator was appointed to resolve the dispute. After several negotiations FIFA agreed not to impose the restrictions on the timing of image distribution or the number of images from each match.
News
Sheldon Marshall Returns to Imagestate
He’s Baaaaack!
He’s back, but then you might say he never left. Sheldon Marshall has taken control of part of Imagestate, the company he helped found and then lead as its CEO. The company distributed a press-release saying Marshall “has acquired the assets and brand of Imagestate, the International online rights managed and royalty free content provider.” As reported here, Imagestate had suspended trading of its shares early in April of this year “pending clarification of the company’s financial position.” Apparently that clarification has now come in the form of a sale of the company’s assets. Getty reportedly purchased the John Foxx royalty free collection that Imagestate owned. Marshall is thought to have purchased the rights managed side of the company, along with the brand name.
Press Release: Founder of Imagestate buys back company
The founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Imagestate, Sheldon Marshall has acquired the assets and brand of Imagestate, the International online rights managed and royal free content provider. Sheldon is the Executive Chairman of the Heritage Partners, which has content collections such as www.heritage-images.com and www.impactphotos.com.
Sheldon has considerable expertise and experience in the media sector and Internet trading, which has been acknowledged by two Queens' awards for Export. From 1984 - 2000 he was the CEO of Visual Communications Group (United News and Media plc) that was acquired by Getty Images plc in 2000 for $220 million. In 2001 he founded and established Imagestate plc, before acquiring and developing Heritage Partners.
Sheldon said, "Imagestate adds an additional dimension to the content collections of Heritage, it has great photographers and we are excited about the challenges moving forward and the development of Imagestate as an international image production and sales company.
Imagestate will be expanding its Rights Managed and Royalty Free content offerings as well as increasing its worldwide agency network.
Over the coming months Imagestate will be focused on the development and distribution of content and especially the formation of strategic partnerships worldwide.
Imagestate will be present at CEPIC in June this year.
www.imagestate.com
If you require further information please contact:
Anand Balsekar Director of Operations
Rose Marie Araya-Farias Director of Sales and Content Development
Shauna Scott Creative Manager
News
Custom Medical Stock Photo launches new RF Collection
The Chicago based stock photo agency Custom Medical Stock Photo, one of the leading sources for images related to biotech, medicine, science and healthcare, has launched a new Royalty Free collection. The new collection is simply named “Royalty Free Medical” and features more than 5000 images depicting doctors, nurses, patients, healthy and unhealthy lifestyles, rehabilitation, surgery, research, senior health, exercise, anatomy and more. Click here for more information on the new collection.
News
AFLO launches English language site
The Japanese stock photo agency, AFLO, known for it’s extensive sports image archive, has launched an English language version of it’s web-site at www.aflo.com/en. Having acquired the japanese agency, Bon Color, AFLO has established itself as a leading player in the Japanese market. The company wants to use the new English web-site to expand global distribution of its signature sports collections; the rights manages archive, Aflo Sport and its new royalty free sports collection, Score. The site also showcases AFLO’s lifestyle, nature, fine art and cuisine collections. Click here to view the new site.
Features
ddp: one-stop shopping
The German press agency ddp, which is well-known for its news and editorial pictures, has adopted a new approach since its acquisition last year of the Danish agency colourpress.com and is continuing to work on the concept of one-stop shopping. According to Dirk von Borstel, who is responsible for ddp’s picture services, "we have not only combined our distribution structures with those of colourpress.com but have been able to add stock photos to ddp’s ‘traditional’ offering of politics, business, sports, culture and miscellaneous subjects and colourpress.com’s entertainment, royalty and exclusive photography".
News
Zsifkovits moves up the ladder at Getty Images
Getty Images has appointed Horst Zsifkovits Vice President of Sales Central and Northern Europe. Zsifkovits has assumed responsibility for Benelux, Northern and Eastern Europe in addition to the German-speaking countries. Before his promotion, he ran the company’s Munich and Hamburg offices as City Head. The London and Amsterdam sales offices will also report to him in future.
News
Industry veteran Andrew Duncomb joins bilderlounge
The Munich base royalty free producer bilderlounge has announced the appointment of Andrew Duncomb to serve as a director of the company along with former Tony Stone/Getty colleagues, Anne Sarmiento and Michele Vitucci. The new Director will be based in London and lead the marketing, content acquisition efforts as well as manage the growing network of distributors. Duncomb was previously employed at Getty in a variety of senior roles in London, New York and Seattle, and served recently as Managing Director of London-based RF-supplier image100, acquired by Corbis last year. "I'm excited to be joining forces with Michele and Anne", he commented. "There's a lot of energy and momentum at bilderlounge, and the market loves their fresh and unique style of European art-directed imagery." For more information visit www.bilderlounge.com
News
Getty announces increase to stock repurchase program
Getty Images’ Board of Directors authorized an increase in the company’s stock repurchase program from $150MM to $250MM. Such programs allow a company to buy back its own shares on the open market and is usually implemented when management considers the shares undervalued. The move can be interpreted as an indication of management confidence in the company. In Getty’s case, we might also see this as evidence that management has found no other way to invest its huge cash trove, i.e., at the present time, it sees no other stock photo companies it wants to purchase or prevent competitors from purchasing. Another effect of a company repurchasing its stock is to reduces the number of shares outstanding in the open market (those it purchases are retired) which increases the earnings per share. Some analysts have already increased their projected earnings per share for 2006 by about $0.07 to $2.82 because of this announcement. The company reports there are currently 62.4MM shares of common stock outstanding. As of this writing, the shares trade at $64.38 giving the company a market capitalization of about $4.2 billion. Click here to view the original press release.
News
Africanpictures.net experiences rapid expansion
The South Africa based stock photo agency africanpictures.net has experienced strong growth as it works to digitize images of Africa previously unavailable on the global marketplace. Recent initiatives include the scanning of over 60,000 images from South African photographer Guy Stubbs, bringing the entire offering to more than 70,000 images and growing. In addition Africanpictures.net has added content from The Bailey's African History Archive, known for collecting photographs from around Africa for over four decades. Other recent additions include: Art Publishers, Shuter and Shooters archive, Rajesh Jantilal, Craig Dutton, Benjamin Karlie, Etc… For more information visit www.africanpictures.net.
News
Digital Railroad partners with White House News Photographers Association
The White House News Photographers Association (WHNPA) has appointed Digital Railroad as a corporate partner. Digital Railroad provides a platform for professional photojournalists to upload, store, and market, their photography online. Dennis Brack, incoming president of the White House News Photographers says, "The WHNPA is very excited about our new partnership with Digital Railroad. Our members already realize the incredible tools that Digital Railroad offers photographers in organization, preservation and expanded marketing opportunities for their images."
Features
Photononstop: beauty and family
Photononstop, which is probably the most important of the remaining independent French agencies, is moving into the royalty-free business. This first series of 20 CDs is devoted to family and beauty. Specifically focusing on daily life, these family shots portray grandparents, young parents, young couples, mothers and their babies, brothers and sisters, in everyday life situations ranging from cooking, to preparing Christmas cards, as well as moments of intimacy and kinship between generations.
News
Getty hires Thomas Oberdorf to replace outgoing CFO
As announced last December, Liz Huebner, Getty's Chief Financial Officer since October of 2000, decided to retire from that post by the end of the second quarter of 2006. Getty Images announced today that it has hired a new Senior Vice President and CFO, Thomas Oberdorf. Oberdorf joins Getty Images from CMGI, Inc. (Nasdaq: CMGI) where he has been senior vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer since 2002. Prior to CMGI, Oberdorf served as chief financial officer and senior vice president of BeMusic Direct (BMG Direct), a billion-dollar division of Bertelsmann AG where he was responsible for all accounting, financial planning and inventory management functions, including the negotiation and integration of mergers and acquisitions.
