Getty makes 35 millions images free online
Getty has announced that it will be giving Internet users free access to more than 35 million images spanning over 100 years. People will now be able to embed the free photos on websites and social media accounts (with some exceptions) for non-commercial use, without paying a license fee.
The selected images will appear in a frame, with copyright information and a link back to the Getty website. Users will be able to search Getty’s archives and embed images using a simple code.
According to Getty’s Craig Peters (speaking to the British Journal of Photography) the organization decided to release some of its images owing to an ongoing battle with piracy. “Our content was everywhere already. If you want to get a Getty image today, you can find it without a watermark very simply,” he said.
The photography power house hopes that by releasing a bulk of its images, users will source them directly from the site – rather than simply use them without permission – meaning that organizations and photographers get proper attribution. It is thought that Getty may be considering introducing an advertising model for the embed tool, to generate revenue that way.
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