Embed anything lets everyone embed images

Embed anything is a startup (2009) that allows anyone to embed images on their site or blog. Content owners subscribe to the service and then add the code to their content. If someone then chooses to embed the image the revenue from the ad that comes with it is shared with between the content owner and this company. This is the companies pitch:

Ever imagine that it would be easier for someone to embed an image than it would be to steal it? By making Embed Image Technology available to your readers that’s now a reality, and you’ll see a number of benefits. Your users will simply have to click the Embed button that appears upon mousing over your image, copy the code that appears, and paste it into their websites HTML. DONE! Our widget code automatically contains a “link back” that points to your website which helps build SEO. This not only results in more direct traffic from click-throughs, but also is a key component in increasing the page rank value of pages on your website.

You can use the ad network that you signed up for yourself for the monetization, alternatively you can use the adspace to promote facebook and twitter messages leading visitors to become a fan or follow you. The company also provides information about impressions and who is embedding your content. If unwanted sites embed the image you can remove it and even blacklist these websites. Here’s yet another way that companies are trying to find new ways to monetize imagery through advertising. (Gumgum/picapp/Imagespace) Embed anything says that they want to make it as easy to let others use and image and make money as it is to simply steal the image.

Could this be one in a number of solutions that shake up the regular stock photography business model?