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01/12/2005 12:04:22 PM · #1 |
I was wondering, for sites like istockphoto and shutterstock, how does one know that they are getting paid for their images every time they are downloaded/licensed. I looked on their sites and in their FAQ's but there is no mention of this. Is it just taken on faith? I mean, even if you have access to an account where you can watch how many you sell, how do you know that it is accurate and honest?
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01/12/2005 12:05:46 PM · #2 |
How do you know anything is?
DPCPrints could have sold 188888 of my prints (highly unlikely, but HEY it's possible!) and I only have reports of a small fraction of that. How do we know?
How do you know hotmail people don't sit around reading your emails all day?
Yeah, it's faith. lol It's ALL faith.
M
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01/12/2005 12:10:22 PM · #3 |
| The reason I ask is not because I don't trust those places, but because I am thinking of starting a business based on a commission structure and some of the photographers I have been interviewing have asked this. |
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01/12/2005 12:47:35 PM · #4 |
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01/12/2005 12:52:37 PM · #5 |
Like was said earlier, it comes down to trust. If you are starting a business then you'll have to put some effort into demonstrating how your contributors can trust you. Inpection/publication of server logs, detailed documentation of programming, allowing the contributors to "try" out the site and make sure things are being properly credited - those are the first things that pop into my head. I think the main thing is that you have to demonstrate that you've thought of it as well and take it seriously.
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01/12/2005 06:03:32 PM · #6 |
Although there is an occasional business that crops up in order to cheat people, such businesses do not last long. If you can convice people you are a legitimate business with long term goals, that will help. In the end almost any business can make more money being honest than dishonest, because once someone finds out, and they eventually will, that a business is cheating people, people will take their money elsewhere, especially if there is a similar business with a better reputation. As an ebay seller I could easily get away with cheating people for a few thousand dollars, but it would also put me out of business. Over the long period I will make more money being honest. Personally I have the most faith in businesses that are successful. A business like istock, with competition cropping up, would lose a lot of money and market share if it were found to be intentionally cheating people.
There are also laws in place to punish businesses that cheat people, and large companies have been fined millions in class-action lawsuits by intentionally cheating people. Smart business people realize it's not worth the risk to cheat people, and that there is a lot more money to be had in a long running honest business, than a fly-by-night crooked one. |
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01/12/2005 08:38:08 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by matiscro:
I was wondering, for sites like istockphoto and shutterstock, how does one know that they are getting paid for their images every time they are downloaded/licensed. I looked on their sites and in their FAQ's but there is no mention of this. Is it just taken on faith? I mean, even if you have access to an account where you can watch how many you sell, how do you know that it is accurate and honest? |
These are not exactly what you would call profesional stock agencies. Most reputable and established stock agencies pay hundreds to thousands of dollars for one time use of an image not 20 cents. Most will let the photographer review account records.
Note: you are not going to get on with many pro stock photo agencies with out the right equipment. If you are serious about this step up to a high-res DSLR and invest in some good glass.
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