The message from the event was clear: Images drive greater user engagement and users are hungry for more and more imagery. Publishers need better tools to monetize this content.

112238949, Aeriform/Ikon Images

A few highlights from the event:

• Bob Lisbonne, CEO of Luminate, introduced us to the concept of the “Imagesphere” where people not only view images but share and interact with them and explained how the growth of the Imagesphere is leading companies to rethink their online experiences.
• Two major publications, USA Today and the Wall Street Journal, discussed how they recently shifted their designs to be more image-centric. Stephen Carpi of Fantasy Interactive (agency for USA Today) shared that the new image-led design enables “browsers” to engage with more content without sacrificing the experience of “seekers” who are more familiar with the content of the site. Brandon Whightsel, Design Director of Dow Jones Design Studio, discussed how WSJ, a famously image-free paper, is embracing images and harmonizing the user experience across channels.
• While images and videos drive greater depth and breadth of user engagement, publishers are struggling to monetize this content. Liz Coughlin of Young Hollywood (formerly of Yahoo) advised publishers to monetize around what customers already do rather than trying to create something new.
• Lastly, our own Offir Gutelzon spoke about solutions to help publishers solve the monetization through image metadata.

We want to congratulate Luminate on a great event and thank them for inviting us to participate. We look forward to additional gatherings with them.

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We are proud to announce that the ImageIRC registry now includes more than 100 million images from over 200 image partners. These images include content from numerous collections and partners, including a significant portion of new content from Getty Images. With this new content, the ImageIRC has greatly increased coverage across news, sports, entertainment, and creative imagery, strengthening current products.

107900423, Gregor Schuster/Photographer’s Choice

With this new content:

• Image buyers will be able to identify more images through ImageExchange.
• Social image-sharing platforms will be able to identify and license more content through the post-usage billing service.

A growing ImageIRC also creates a strong foundation for the new products we’ll be releasing later this year and in early 2013.

We’re excited to reach this milestone and want to thank our image partners for your continued support in the mission to ensure that Every Image Gets it Credit. Stay tuned for additional announcements in the near future!

As a reminder, participation in the ImageIRC is free! Click here to get started.

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Credit: Michael Treola, PhotoShelter

Here are some highlights from the event:

• Kevin Connor of FourAndSix (formerly of Adobe) gave a great talk about the history of image and what constitutes image craftwork vs. image tampering in the forensic context.
• Amy Dresser, master photo retoucher, walked us through her technique of enhancing images while maintaining their unique character.
• NASA astronaut Donald Pettit helped us get slightly closer to space as he described the ingenuity required to photograph in outerspace.
• Eileen Gittens, CEO of Blurb, reaffirmed the value of the printed book by describing the inspiration created using self-expressed words and images.
• During the start-up Pecha Kucha (meaning chit-chat in Japanese), leaders from Olapic, Aviary, Atavist and Piictu described how their new ventures are contributing to the future of imagery in the digital (and social) world.
•  Our own Craig Peters, SVP of Business Development at Getty Images, described how digital is breaking down the traditional paradigms of content licensing and Getty Images is developing licensing and monetization solutions such as Post-Usage Billing to adapt to this shift.
•  Eric Cheng, Director of Photography at Lytro introduced us to the power of Light Field Photography and how the Light Field camera by Lytro is transforming the concept of the still image as we know it.
•  It was encouraging to hear Scott Belsky, founder and CEO of Behance talk about the importance of ensuring that every image gets its credit.

We want to congratulate Photoshelter on a great event with the inaugural year of Luminance. We look forward to many more to come!

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Getty Images, 112239835, Huan Tran/Ikon Images

In our last post, we introduced the Post-Usage Billing Service as a solution similar to Content ID or Audible Magic for the image industry. Below are details about how the Post-Usage Billing Service helps ensure that photographers, licensors and platforms alike share in the value generated by the sharing of imagery:

• Fast – The implementation of the Post-Usage Billing Service takes place in real time and is completely transparent to users. When a user shares an image, the ImageIRC API instantaneously determines if the image can be identified and licensed.
• Fair – Professional content, including imagery, drives value for social image-sharing platforms through increased user engagement. With the Post-Usage Billing Service, content licensors and photographers will be compensated and credited equitably for their work.
• Frictionless – The Post-Usage Billing service is intended to foster engagement by enabling social image-sharing platforms to retain professional content. The upload, sharing and engagement experiences on social image-sharing platforms are not disrupted by the Post-Usage Billing service.

In addition to the points above, there are a few other points about the ImageIRC we’d like to iterate.

• The Post-Usage Billing Service is powered by the PicScout ImageIRC, an image fingerprint and metadata registry with over 100 million images from 200 partners. ImageIRC is open to everyone and inclusion in the registry is voluntary. Anyone can upload their content to ImageIRC.  Visit the picscout.com website to learn more.
• Getty Images is the first to use the Post-Usage Billing Service. We expect additional image partners to opt into the service in the near future.
• SparkRebel is the first social image-sharing platform to implement the ImageIRC Post-Usage Billing service. We expect to report on more partnerships in the future.

It thrills us to see such rich dialog around the announcement of our new service. We hope the points above address the comments brought up on Fred’s post. We look forward to continued debate about the future of “fair and frictionless” image licensing on the Internet.

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We’re excited about this announcement because it is a first of its kind solution whereby the ImageIRC is leveraged to ensure crediting and licensing of professional content on social image-sharing platforms. Professional content drives significant engagement on social image-sharing platforms. With the ImageIRC Post-Usage Billing Service, photographers and content licensors can now be assured that their work is properly acknowledged on platforms which will embrace the ImageIRC Post Usage Billing solution.

In the online video world, a similar service is YouTube’s Content ID. Launched in 2007, Content ID allows licensors of video and audio media shared by YouTube users to take action on their content as it is uploaded. Similar to the ImageIRC model, licensors upload the audio and video “reference” files they would like monitored on YouTube into Content ID. Then, the uploaded reference files are fingerprinted and stored in the Content ID system. When YouTube users uploaded audio or video content that exists in the Content ID system, the licensor has the ability to track, block or monetize the content. Like professional imagery, professional audio and video content drives significant engagement on YouTube. Since the launch of Content ID, licensors and YouTube users can benefit equally from value created by professional content.

The Evolution of Media Licensing:

To tell you a bit more about how the ImageIRC Post-Usage Billing Service works, social image sharing platforms begin by integrating with the ImageIRC API. When a user shares an image, the ImageIRC API is pinged to determine if the image can be identified and licensed. When possible, the ImageIRC grants a license for the image at the time it is shared. Content licensed through the ImageIRC Post-Usage Billing service will display the licensor’s credit and caption within the image.

How it Works:

Currently, Getty Images is the first licensor that will be using the ImageIRC Post-Usage Billing Service to license images on social image-sharing platforms. We expect to offer the solution to all ImageIRC partners in the near future and we’ll be sure to keep you updated as more develops. Please note that ImageIRC partners will have the opportunity to opt into participating in the ImageIRC Post-Usage Billing Service.

We are also pleased to announce SparkRebel, a fashion-focused social image-sharing platform, as our first ImageIRC Post-Usage Billing Service customer. On SparkRebelusers and brands — from well-known ready-to-wear to couture — “Spark” images that inspire their style. For more information, check out the official release about the SparkRebel partnership.

Stay tuned for more innovations from PicScout and the ImageIRC

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To tell you a little more about myself, I have a background in product development and user experience. Most recently, I was a member of the product team that launched HighTable, an online Q&A platform. Prior to my experience at HighTable, I was involved in new product development efforts and acquisitions at Elsevier.

I very much look forward to collaborating with all of you on new initiatives to ensure that Every Image Gets its Credit. My door is always open to you – I’d love to hear your ideas and what’s on your wish lists as well as what’s not working so great. Feel free to reach any time at marc.wendell (at) gettyimages (dot) com.

And for those of you attending Luminance in NYC or PACA this year in Chicago, I look forward to seeing you there!

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