Freeimages has begun to hugely ravamp its site layout. Not everything seems to work (no functioning upload routine). Download numbers are not shown on the photos anymore obviously (all set to 0). And you can't comment on the photos. You can only start (private?) conversations with the photographer.
The photos collected over the past months are visible and downloadable now finally when you browse the galleries (but they still don't appear in the search when you search by keywords - very buggy).
The effort spent in the relaunch shows they still want to keep the place up.
--Michael
All old comments are gone, but maybe new comments are still possible, we'll see...
Sometimes things disappear temporarily while changes are made. I just think communicating with the people who are good enough to keep their images up there might be well mannered. There would be no site without the pictures. Can you actually remove images? That should always be an option.
Yes, there is a remove-button on every single image. (Would take quite a while to remove a larger gallery this way...)
They changed the name of the "remove" button (as it was called yesterday) now to "disable", which is not exactly the same...
So does it still remove the image or just prevent it being downloaded? I don't trust them. They are just as likely to find a loophole that allows them to keep the images. I know many people have long since abandoned their galleries there.
I know I won't be joining or uploading anything to that website. I only upload here. It's going to be a long and hot summer this year.
I haven't tried to remove an image yet.
Hey Ayla, If you doubts about the website. I would delete everything and move on. I noticed the website has advertising from getty's so I wouldn't join them or upload anything.
Getty might as well download our images from here, we couldn't prevent that. I still think that it is important for the photos to find their way to the users, and that platform has always been massively used. The users don't care who owns and manages it, as long as they get the free photos from there.
Getty owns that site.
I can tell you I removed all my pictures 2 or 3 years ago. And I had access to the site with my login.
It doesn't works anymore. I tryed it when you have posted this thread Michael.
You made the right choice to removing all your content from the website. Getty's is a shark in the micro stock photography world. I'm surprised people are still uploading content to their websites.
I missed this whole change while off on holiday... I can't find a "remove" or "disable" button on any of my images, which is concerning.... The other thing that is concerning is that the image use license has been changed - so someone now downloading an image is not agreeing to the same license as was in place when I uploaded the image and entered into an agreement with the site owners (whether any of the predecessor owners or Getty these days). And no, I wasn't asked whether this was OK... I like getting the images to a wide audience, and wasn't personally stung by any of the historical problems round Getty taking over SXC/freeimages, so was willing to live with things.... but maybe not now.
So what are the changes to the licence, Colin?
Colin, when you go to your "My uploads" page you should see a "disable" button on every single one of your images. I can see it. To get the images to a wide audience is my main motivation, too.
--Michael
Thanks Michael - had missed the "My uploads" as it isn't in the same dropdown as all the rest of the stuff relating to My Profile. Have tried to "Disable" a couple of images just to see what happens - they don't seem to be removed from the site, and have an "Enable" button against them which instantly restores the image to my gallery when clicked. Finally, if you select the Table as opposed to Grid view for "My uploads" you can see download numbers....
Dez, as to license changes, IANAL, but it is completely rewritten - so for instance the specific bar on not being able to use images of recognisable people (the "To endorse products and services if the image depicts a person that can be recognized by the person portrayed, the photographer or anyone related to or acquaintance with that person" clause) has gone, and is replaced by a "sensitive use" clause ("If you use content that features models or property in connection with a subject that would be unflattering or unduly controversial to a reasonable person,,,,"). There will be differences in what those two imply, perhaps subtle, but certainly differences. And those of us who still have galleries there were not informed/consulted about the change in license. The full license is at http://www.freeimages.com/license
I've never heard of changing a license without consent of account holders. I recommend you write them a letter to delete your account and all the content in your account. I personally would never register or upload any content to a getty owned websites. I furthermore wouldn't give getty permission to use my content for their purposes. Anyway, I have to download the images from my camera now. I will start editing a couple in Photoshop tonight. I noticed the downloads and traffic numbers are falling on RGB. I will try to get more content uploaded when I'm not working.
Just for people's interest, here is the e-mail I got back from the contributors support team who are behind freeimages.com when I enquired about change in license and inability to delete images. Having read this through I also re-read "our"/RGBStock license, which includes the clause "RGBStock.com reserves the right to modify or replace any part of this Agreement" (though there is a clear commitment to communicating changes with contributors).
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Hello Colin,
Thank you very much for your email and I apologize for the delayed response.
Under the terms of use, both the current terms of use and the prior terms of use that were in effect at the time that you uploaded your images, freeimages.com are able to change the terms of the license agreement (and the terms of use) at their discretion.
Once you terminate your agreement with us or delete certain files from license, we will not license your content again. Getty Images does, however, keep a copy of the file, along with the license history, so that should issues arise with respect to the license of the image while it was active, Getty Images has a complete record of what was uploaded and licensed and to whom.
We are disappointed that our new terms do not meet with your approval. Our new terms were intended to streamline the license agreement for customers and align our terms with competitor sites. If you do not want your images distributed under the new terms, we are happy to remove your content from the site. Please let us know if that is how you would like to proceed.
Thank you.
Darek
iStock
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They really have zero respect for their contributors.
They are big business so they have no respect for the contributors.
I just think it's a threat to say that if you delete your files they will not licence your content again.
Respect would have been to communicate, even if they had the right to change the license.
However, I think Darek was trying to reassure me that though Getty will retain a copy of images even if I "disable" them, they will no longer allow them to be downloaded (and therefore licensed) - I don't think its a threat about not licensing any of my future content.
Okay - fair enough. I got that when I re-read it.
You made the right choice to removing all your content from the website. Getty's is a shark in the micro stock photography world. I'm surprised people are still uploading content to their websites.