NEW PARADIGM SHIFTS IN STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY - PART II (Continued)

COMPARING FOUR ADDITIONAL ONLINE MARKETPLACES (#2 of 4)
    Background: Alamy currently has about 3 million images online from 4600 photographers and 296 agencies. By comparison, all of the four marketplaces we are comparing in this article currently have less than 100,000 images online. All five online marketplaces (Alamy included) do not require an exclusive agreement, and we've noticed many image suppliers are represented by two or more of these marketplaces (and often with the same images). We'll now attempt to offer some overall comparisons and unique features that these four online marketplaces offer. NOTE: Your editor has placed images with all four online marketplaces, and has interviewed contributors at each marketplace to help with this comparison.
ACCLAIM IMAGES

Owned by Fred Voetsch
Located in Medford, Oregon
Domain first registered June 19, 2002

Acclaim currently has about 45,000 images online from over 60 contributors. AI appears to be the most selective in accepting new contributors - there is no formal, online application or procedure for screening and selecting new contributors, other than this page:
http://www.acclaimimages.com/login.html

Contributors receive 50% of each sale. While payment is made each month to contributors, Acclaim "...may hold payments ...for up to 8 weeks to reduce the risk of charge backs, fraud, etc."

Acclaim Images does not have a true contract or agreement, but rather a "Seller's Terms of Use". By contributing images to the site you automatically agree or consent to the terms AI has established --if you disagree, you can remove your images. Nice and simple, but these terms can change, leaving contributors with the decision to pull their images, or just accept the new terms:
http://www.acclaimstockphotography.com/help/seller_terms.html

Unique features: All sales are reported online each day for ALL contributors to see. This openness allows all Acclaim contributors to monitor what is selling, and who is selling it. All our research shows that Acclaim Images currently has the most established online sales performance record of the four online marketplaces. Acclaim and Absolute are the only two marketplaces offering print/poster sales in addition to online stock image licensing.

Jamie Voetsch, Acclaim's full-time Customer Service Representative, wants "...to emphasize that we are trying to make ourselves different from other stock agencies, by providing more personal relationships with our photographers and customers. ...I know most of our photographers personally, as well as many of our recurring customers."

Features we wish Acclaim had: Although Acclaim offers rights managed images on its site, there currently is no online method to price and purchase the images, other than to call or email Acclaim administration. While Acclaim R-F prices are fairly average with the industry, there are no options for the contributor to modify the prices Acclaim has set. AcclaimImages does not have a lightbox feature that allows buyers to store their image research selections, or share via email those selections with their associates (but we are told that they have a manual method to email lightbox-like selections).

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(Reprinted by permission from the InkjetART.com "Inkjet NEWS & Tips" newsletter, July 5, 2005)