Picscout starts Image Exchange test group

After the earlier launch of Image Exchange™ picscout is now inviting users to work with the Beta version.

The selected Beta Users will be the first to use the new Firefox Add-On to Access Online Images and Rights Directly with Stock Agencies and Licensors. Creative and corporate communication professionals, designers, and those who actively buy images are encouraged to register for one of the invitation openings.

The beta participants will be the first to see millions of images and their licensors online, whether encountering images in determined searches at sites like Google Images, or happening upon the right image while stumbling or surfing the internet. Registrations can be done on http://imagex.picscout.com

In the meantime, webssite Microstockdiaries wrote a clear explanation of the product that answers some of the questions that have come from its potential users.

Since launching the product picscout has added clients and has received encouraging feedback from a number of companies and organisations.

“As the owner of a large design firm, I adhere scrupulously to copyright and trademark laws. There’s just too much at risk. I have to protect my business and my clients’ businesses.” said Nancy Duarte, CEO and Principal, Duarte Design, www.duarte.com. “Ownership and copyright information of online images has been difficult. It’s often impossible to determine ownership and then properly license. Designers are reluctant to use web images in their work because of ownership ambiguity. The PicScout Image IRC flips the model for designers, by providing rights information on web-images instantly. The ImageExchange add-on conveniently helps my designers find images, identify ownership and image rights, and even connect to the appropriate image-owner to obtain use rights.” 

“PACA applauds the efforts of our PACA corporate sponsor, PicScout, to provide a technical solution that connects images to the licensor,” said Cathy Aron, Executive Director, PACA. “PACA supports technological developments that help prevent unauthorized uses and developments that provide users a way to easily find the owner/licensor.”

“The American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) applauds the efforts of PicScout in the creation of Image IRC, which facilitates the connection between rights holders and image consumers in the digital marketplace,” said Eugene Mopsik, Executive Director, American Society of Media Photographers. “Image IRC makes it easy to directly license Google images by providing essential image information and connection. Initial participation looks great. We look forward to additional growth and will be offering this service to our members for their consideration.”

“The initiative that PicScout has taken to track online, license, and protect the ownership of the imagery of professional photographers worldwide is not only outstanding, it is crucial in our rapidly evolving online marketplace for imagery,” said Shannon Fagan, President, Stock Artists Alliance.

“Time, Inc. publishes our image collection on Google Images; the Image IRC technology enables us to quantify actual use and distinguish between consumer and syndication traffic, as well as to gain insight to ways we can better monetize our images,” said Jeff Burak, director of Business Development, Life. “It is important for images to be credited, and we are pleased to see the industry moving toward that goal.”

“Masterfile is enthusiastic about PicScout’s newest technology. It creates a seamless connection between potential clients and licensors for images published online – anywhere, anytime, in any form,” said Masterfile CEO, Steve Pigeon. “Our years of experience with PicScout in automated tracking of online images for copyright management assure us that this will be another commercially successful initiative.”