Do the photographers know this is happening?

[m081072]

From what I have read on these forums, the central defence against the getty letter goes like this:

 a) The photographer owns the copyright on the image
 b) Therefore ask to see proof of Gettys exclusive right to enforce copyright on behalf of the photographer

Is this correct?

If so, I wonder if the photographers know what getty are doing "on their behalf"?  The name of the photographer that owns the copyright of the image we used was included in the letter, and I found myself wondering if he would support getty's action?

Is there any point in organising a campaign to make the photographers aware of what getty are doing, thereby causing them to have second thoughts about selling their images through them?

Just some idle thoughts - thanks for listening!

[stinger]

I think the only way you may this work is to organize a large scale, world wide boycott of Getty Images.  This might be difficult to do since Getty seems to be engrained with all the large media companies.

Although we see what Getty does as wrong, their argument to the photographers is that their approach is necessary to protect the photographers copyright.  That doesn't mean all photographers love Getty.  It just means that Getty is so large and there are so many photographers out there that appealing to the photographers to change Getty's practices would require a huge, almost never ending budget to keep this issue out front.

Also, you are definitely over-simplifying the central defense against Getty letters proposed here.

[m081072]

Thanks stinger - I will continue trying to educate myself!

keep well.

[Robert Krausankas (BuddhaPi)]

Truth of the matter is most "seasoned professional" photographers are fully aware and have no problem with what Getty Images does.. Photographers that work in "stock photo" circles aren't making any money, because of micro-stock and the simple fact that everybody and their grandmother has a digital camera. It's my belief ( being a photographer myself) that a good majority of getty "contributors" are pro photographers anyway, most of them left the likes of Getty, because Getty likes to change the rules on a whim and pretty much shaft them.. At one time stock photography was a lucrative business, now not so much...hence we trolls.