Crediting images on searchengines now without signup fee [updated]
[Updated] See comments for more information about the service
Picscout has decided to start providing their ImageExchange product for free to picture agencies. ImageExchange allows users of search engines to find the owner of the image and license images directly. Picture sellers need to register their content before this is possible and this service is now free
PRESS RELEASE
Announcing at the worldwide CEPIC conference today, PicScout is making it free for digital images to be credited with ownership anywhere they appear. Introducing a no-fee fingerprinting and metadata registry participation in ImageIRC™ for use with ImageExchange™, PicScout with stock agencies and content creators can ensure that every image gets its proper credit. With today’s announcement, PicScout extends its role as creator of the de facto standard for image protection toward a new standard for global image recognition and promotion. By offering an easy-to-use tool at the point of every image encounter, PicScout enlarges and accelerates the image buyers market.
Today’s announcement also includes a special introductory promotion for stock agencies and individual photographers to use ImageExchange when they join ImageIRC during the month of June. ImageExchange automatically and directly connects a user from the point of image discovery to the licensor of that image.
PicScout is moving aggressively to fingerprint and give credit to every available digital image, which can ensure images are not classified as orphan images. PicScout has also created an agency-and-photographer-friendly pay-per-click model that includes direct links within the ImageExchange results box that provide one-click connections to license. Participating agencies will receive an allotment of free clicks each month – followed by a tiered pricing structure for additional clicks based upon the image’s licensing status: rights managed, royalty free and microstock images.
As part of the introductory pricing program, PicScout will provide an additional $1,000 or $500 in credits for those who contract by June 15 and June 30, respectively. This promotion enables all content creators to participate in a unique program without risk.
“PicScout aims at industry-wide adoption to credit every image on the Internet. We have made entry level image credit participation free to everyone and are confident that soon most images will have recognized credit and licensing connection through ImageIRC,” said Offir Gutelzon, PicScout CEO. “The pay-per-click model is used by leading stock agencies to drive leads through Keyword based advertising. PicScout has created an industry-customized, more affordable pay-per-click model that corresponds to specific images of interest to qualified image buyers. The modest investment sustains and even multiplies its value, since the image retains ownership recognition wherever it resides.”
ImageExchange users recognize images for sale, because they see an “i” icon every time they encounter ImageIRC images. One click reveals the creator’s name and the license type, and another connects them to license and use images immediately. Every registered ImageIRC image is always credited with the creator information wherever it appears. Also, leading image application sites are working with PicScout to embed image credit with every image at their sites or within the application platform.
Not sure it’s free..According to their Terms : “Fees You shall effect payment of the fees by buying credit for Your Account via the PicScout website according to the Fee Terms listed there at the time of credit purchase. As further detailed in the Fee Terms, you shall be charged each time an ImageExchange™ user clicks on the “i” (or similarly named) icon that populates one of Your Images. The fee rate You shall be charged by PicScout (following Your purchase of credit, and to be deducted therefrom) shall be as posted on the PicScout Website. From time to time, PicScout may amend these rates, and may charge fees or bid on search results. Any such amendments shall be posted on the PicScout Website.” Sometimes it’s good to go beyond the press release.
Thanks for the clarification Paul, that does ineed look like a fee per click. Perhaps someone from Picscout would like to comment on this.
Fear not, registering images with PicScout ImageIRC™ is absolutely free. Anyone who registers and uploads images, http://clients.imageirc.picscout.com/registration.php, pays nothing for an image to be fingerprinted and credited forever. There is cost associated with the pay-per-click licensing connection model, which is an opt-in program, that establishes a direct connection to a licensing page. Everyone who registers is given 100 free credits upon sign up for “clicks” and 20 free credits per month thereafter. Once the free credits are used by ImageExchange users who are out their clicking away, the licensing connection isn’t available unless the image owner wants to pay for clicks and contracts separately to do so, BUT the image always appears with its credit. Hence, Every Image Gets Its Credit™. There are no hidden charges that suddenly kick in. The free credits are nice as anyone can see if there is value for them to consider the pay-per-click model for themselves, for some or all of their images. After all, if people are clicking and licensing, more of that is good. Evaluating the costs per click in the PicScout model against say the Google keywords model is a worthy exercise. One is very specific to your images and the other is based on terms under which your image may qualify. I think you’ll see that Google keywords average out to be considerably more expensive. Enjoy that free image fingerprinting and owner ID…no catch, and I wrote the fine print. 🙂
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Thank you for the clarification Suzanne