Getty Images buys iStockphoto

For $50 million

[abbeyvet]

News is on iStock. Don't know what to think about this. I have long relied on excellent reasonably priced stock and I wonder what direction it will go in now.

Obviously a good day for Bruce Livingstone and the rest of the iStock team though.

[Syzygy]

There are plenty of competitively priced photo libraries and resellers out there... And there is much stock to be found that the Getty-monster has not yet swallowed...

Syzygy

[bunltd]

Good for them, but I hope they don't change.

LisaB

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

"So please don't ever change,
no don't you ever change.
Promise you're always gonna be
as cheap as you are". ;)

[Syzygy]

...I hope they don't change...

They will have been assimilated already. Resistance is futile.

Syzygy

[Alternative Future]

Wow I have been blind to iStockphoto...

Can I ask a question regarding the usage, I have read the terms and I am a little unsure of this:
I can buy photos to use on my website yes?
My website promotes tourism in a country, I do not sell anything but you could say that I am selling holidays even though I do not receive any commission on these sales can I still use the photos?

TIA,

-George

[abbeyvet]

Yep, you can use the images in that way. For now at least.

I would be fairly hopeful that the community aspect of iStock will make it hard to move too far from the current model, though things are bound to change somewhat.

[Alternative Future]

Thanks for the prompt reply abbeyvet

One other thing is the license to use the photo for one year only and after a years usage you have to renew again to use the photo for another year?

-george

[abbeyvet]

All this is in the iStock info - this is not really the appropriate place to ask - but, nope. Once you purchase a royalty free image you can use it as long as you like on your site.

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

I have found istockphoto to be a tremendous resource. Images for $1! It has saved me hours of time please don't change ;)

[Mr Bo Jangles]

yes, fantastic resource, fantastic site - just works beautifully. I've bought a lot of the $1 images for web sites, and went back today and bought a higher resolution copy for $5 for print work, of an image I'd previously bought the low res $1 web-work copy of.