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Amazon’s Echo Show can use Getty Images to answer your questions
This week, Getty Images announced a new partnership with Amazon that will allow the online retail giant to use images from Getty's vast image catalog on its Echo devices with a screen. While Alexa was previously able to deliver verbal answers to questions, such as "Who won the Best Actress Oscar this year," now the device will be able to show a picture to accompany the answer.
500px closes its photo marketplace
Photo platform 500px is ditching its efforts to help you buy and sell photos through its own online service. The company has closed its in-house Marketplace as of July 1st, and will now rely on moving photos through Getty Images in most of the world as well as VCG (which acquired 500px in February) in China. Your royalties won't change if you had photos on 500px, but don't expect to have full control over how you share photos -- the company is scaling things back, at least for now.
Google removes ‘View Image’ button from image search
Say goodbye to the "View Image" link in Google Images. Google announced a few changes to its image search today, one of which being the removal of its option to check out an image without visiting the site that hosts it. It might be a bummer for some, but since it was a stipulation of Google's settlement with Getty Images, it was only a matter of time before it happened. In a tweet, Google said today that the changes "are designed to strike a balance between serving user needs and publisher concerns, both stakeholders we value."
Google will make copyright credits more apparent in image searches
Google has reached a deal to end Getty Images' European complaint over photo copyrights, and it's quite likely that you'll notice the effects. A new agreement between the two will see Google obtain a "multi-year" license for Getty's photos in its products in exchange for reforming its approach to copyright in image search. Google will do more to highlight copyright attribution for the photos you find, so you'll know whether or not you'd need to pay for a picture. It will also pull "view image" links for pictures to reduce the number of direct downloads.
GoPro is testing its 360 VR camera with select broadcasters
It may not be out yet, but GoPro's Fusion 360 VR camera will soon be used to capture UFC fights, news footage, and awards ceremonies. To showcase the device's 5k resolution capabilities, GoPro is trialling the Fusion with partners such as Fox Sports, the Golden State Warriors, and USA Today.
Getty launches VR group with 12,000 stock images
Getty Images, responsible for many of the stock photos you see on the web, has launched a VR division called Getty Images Virtual Reality Group. The company is betting big that virtual reality via headsets like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive is the future of media, and not a passing fad. The company already has 12,000 360-degree images, but will boost that number considerably at the 2016 Rio Olympics. As the official photo agency, Getty will equip each of its photographers with a 360-degree camera to supplement their regular still cameras.
Google faces piracy accusation from Getty Images in Europe
Getty Images isn't happy that Google search displays copyrighted full-screen, high-res photos. In the complaint it filed with the European Union's antitrust commission, it accused Google of scraping images from third-party sources and promoting piracy, which is apparently hurting its business. The photo agency told Time that once people have already seen high-resolution photos through a Google search, "there is little impetus to view the image on the original source site."
Getty Images opens up its stock photo vaults for free, legal use with new embed tools
Whether it's @HistoryinPics or just an Imgur-hosted picture posted to Reddit, professional photos are being used everywhere on the internet -- and usually without payment or credit to the original owner. Getty Images licenses out stock photos (including coverage of sports, news and fashion events) for use by the media (cough), businesses and artists, and now it's hoping to get some control back, by letting anyone use them for free. Free that is, as long as they're posted with Getty's new embed feature which, like the ones we've gotten used to on Flickr, YouTube and other internet sites, produces the appropriate HTML to pop the picture in a blog or social media post. At launch, it's specifically designed to tie in with sites like Wordpress and Tumblr, and on Twitter, links produce a card with the image and information. The pictures won't be watermarked, but it also links back to Gettyimages.com and includes attribution for the photographer. It seems like a win-win for everyone, and an admission by Getty that simply trying to paywall access to high quality pics won't keep them from being posted everywhere anyway. Meanwhile, everyone from casual tweeters to those starting great websites for the next ten years just getting their start can access high quality photos without worrying about scary legal letters or getting their account shut down.
Pinterest pairs up with Getty Images, tells you who shot your pinned photos (among other things)
Pinterest may be all about pictures (and some ads), but a deal sealed today with Getty Images will provide users with some very important words as well: photo metadata. Why should you care? It means that you'll now get a whole host of info along with any Getty pictures you pin. So, you'll be able to see things like the title, caption and the photographer's name from any of Getty's vast catalog of pictures. And, that info will make it easier for you to find similar and related photos to stick on Pinterest's digital boards. As for the deal itself, Pinterest is paying Getty an undisclosed sum for the data and will make sure all photos will be properly attributed. In return, Pinterest gets the aforementioned benefits for its users, and eliminates any copyright complications it might have faced from Getty. Two birds, one stone. Well played, Pinterest.
