baggers Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Shutterstock has acquired Rex Images is this good or bad for contributors? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin P Wilson Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 It is rarely good for contributors when smaller agencies are taken over by large, increasingly faceless and soulless mega-libraries. Rex had a dalliance with one of the others (Big G?) a year or two ago that eventually came to nothing: The Guardian story from 2010. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vpics Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Sad day. :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christian58 Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Terrible for the contributors! but hey! SS will of course tell them its terrific. Why not give a rise instead? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ann Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Apparently SS will ingest some Rex images into SS's main platform, and I'm quite concerned about possibility of my high-profile people images on Rex, through partner site, getting licensed for a few cents. For images from partner sites, Rex doesn't include name of photographer, at least in my case, even on Rex's own site. Wonder if SS will continue that awful practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 I've been with REX since 1978...UNTIL today! I just sent in my resignation and they will have to remove 5700 images from their online site and about 20,000 unscanned slides and prints. In the past two years I've found hundreds of unpaid sales going back years that Rex never paid me for and when confronted I get some very lame excuses. I had a feeling they'd get bought up...Why did the UK Gov prevent the Getty/Rex merger years ago but allow this? Just noticed Shutterstock in NYC looked at my website. L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacecadet Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 I think we have our answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin P Wilson Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 I nearly tried to join Rex last autumn as I wanted a library that would take news and features. Phew, narrow escape! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 I've had a resignation email in my drafts file since October but wanted to wait after the December payment,including DACS had cleared. My intuition was right.I just need to listen to it! My small bank has been bought out by another bank...I just want to take a long nap and absorb all of these changes. L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isphoto Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 If people are unhappy then do as a few others have and resign, insist they remove all your images. if I was buying a library I would have a clause in the purchase agreement linked to contributors not removing content, especially if it sells. So if enough people pulled content, who knows it could make a little dent in the reputed c33m price paid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 I have tens of thousands of images with Rex.Many in slide and print form.I was smart enough decades ago to have my delivery memo's signed. My delivery memo's stated that losses would be $1500 per lost slide. They stated they can't be looking thru the files for our material. They asked for one of these signed submissions and being the pack rat I am,pulled one out from 1990. After seeing a few .68 sales this month from them,I am glad I resigned!I've told them none of these crappy sales for me numerous times. My 1970s/80s material is very valuable. I intend to really comb for unpaid sales now.... L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 I have some general stock with Rex. They did better with that for me a few years ago...not so much in the past few years. I just checked and they've removed my images!YEAH! L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin P Wilson Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 If people are unhappy then do as a few others have and resign, insist they remove all your images. if I was buying a library I would have a clause in the purchase agreement linked to contributors not removing content, especially if it sells. So if enough people pulled content, who knows it could make a little dent in the reputed c33m price paid. That is usual in most buyouts - the price is often dependent on client retention and retention of key staff (or in this case contributors) over an initial 1-2 year period. Can't be too long as it quickly becomes down to the new owner. Have seen the problem with large firm buying small local accountancy or other professional firms, upping the fees and then wondering why clients walk. I know someone who essentially sold the same practice three times because of that; sold it, big firm put up fees, when he was out of non-compete contract (took a sabbatical) the clients came back to him! A few years later he sold it again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Douglas Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 I just went to the Shutterstock site - I thought for a minute that I was on the new Alamy home page!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arletta Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Linda, thank you for you valuable info! There's one more thing I'm interested. Can you tell why didn't you sell all that files with Alamy? You say about huge number of images and low pricing and I don't know why would someone sell with Rex and not here, on Alamy? Please excuse my curious as I don't know well this (editorial) market secrets Keith, thats the trend and most of sites use it lately It looks good but getting boring Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Linda, thank you for you valuable info! There's one more thing I'm interested. Can you tell why didn't you sell all that files with Alamy? You say about huge number of images and low pricing and I don't know why would someone sell with Rex and not here, on Alamy? Please excuse my curious as I don't know well this (editorial) market secrets Keith, thats the trend and most of sites use it lately It looks good but getting boring I started with Rex in 1980. Alamy did not exist in 1980! I tend to not want to spread my images out and only send out a few to keep the value up and keep track of the specific licenses. Alamy doesn't give sales info,REX does as my other agencies have as well. L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Rex was sold for $33 million! Rex employees bought the agency after the Getty purchase deal fell thru.Nice work if you can get it! http://petapixel.com/2015/01/15/shutterstock-acquires-uk-photo-agency-rex-features-33-million/#more-155965 L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 I just went to the Shutterstock site - I thought for a minute that I was on the new Alamy home page!! OMG you're right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ann Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 probably something along the lines of: expand - not just quantity - or die swallow or be swallowed or more prosaically - strengthening their news, celebrity... imagery I wonder what their motivation was for buying it? Their real motivation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 To any contributors...Be weary and leery if you should hear,"But we plan on keeping this separate and your images won't be on the micro site."Um yeah...Just ask photogs that were with other libraries making mid 6 figures to a million a year how much they started making when that 'other big agency' bought out their agencies. Many could not even make a car payment!L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alamy Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 This thread has run it's course. We've let it run but after having to delete numerous posts highlighting rival schemes we're left with no choice but to lock this down. Please also read this thread: http://discussion.alamy.com/index.php?/topic/2170-threads-that-promote-highlight-direct-competitors-to-alamy/ Thanks Alamy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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