SAA and PicScout Identify Uses and Misuses of Rights Managed Photographs On the Internet.

December 17, 2004.  The StockArtistsAlliance (SAA) and PicScout have launched a joint trial using the high technology PicScout Image Tracker Service to investigate Internet use of photographs.

“We are very pleased with the opportunity to work with PicScout. In the first few days of using the Image Tracker Service we have already received our first matches” said Betsy Reid, SAA Executive Director. As part of the trial, SAA members provided PicScout with their own copyrighted Rights Managed images that were not licensed for Internet use and are distributed by leading stock photography providers such as Getty (GYI) Images and Corbis.

Using sophisticated image recognition technology, PicScout searches commercial web sites for images provided by SAA members. Images can be identified even if altered, colorized, or otherwise disguised. Matches that are found are reported to the SAA for analysis and follow up. The objectives of this trial are:

- To understand and identify Internet infringements of Rights Managed images that are licensed through stock distributors, as well as those licensed by photographers through direct marketing.

- To gather information about the value of PicScout as a tool by which professional photographers can track licenses of their images and identify infringements.

- To use the most advanced technology to allow photographers and their distributors to find infringements and recapture lost revenue.

- To educate and increase the awareness of copyright registration and the necessity for tracking uses on an ongoing basis.

SAA contacted PicScout after learning about the results they had achieved in tracking Internet use of the collections of some major stock distributors. For example , 90% of the Internet uses identified by PicScout from one collection were unauthorized, half of which were clear copyright violations by organizations that had never licensing images from that company.

“The unauthorized use of images on the net far exceeds the amount of images that are legally licensed. PicScout can help both photographers and stock agencies to recover these fees and substantially increase both their revenues and customer base” said Eyal Gura, PicScout’s CEO.

Most photographers, who provide creative images on line, are independent businesses. Having the leading distributors of images find unauthorized uses and protect their copyright is critical to the industry, and the photographer’s continued success.

About SAA.
SAA is a global trade organization dedicated to the interests of Rights Managed stock photographers. Information about SAA’s programs and initiatives at http://www.stockartistsalliance.org

About PicScout.
PicScout is a leading technology provider to the stock photography industry.  The company offers solutions for image owners to control and protect their images in the information age.  PicScout’s image recognition solution enables the comparison of image databases with individual images that are being used in commercial web sites. Based on this technology,  PicScout provides a number of services to the stock photography industry.  These services enable stock photo agencies to enforce their copyrights,  better control their assets,  develop new billing methods and increase their customer base.  PicScout manages more than 1.5 million images for the world’s most prestigious image libraries. http://www.picscout.com