Getty Images' PicScout ImageIRC Credits, Compensates Copyrighted Images

Social shopping took on a slightly new twist when content-sharing platforms set a new standard on how to share photos and images by not only supporting and crediting the copyrighted and creative work of others, but also by compensating the rightful content owners.

As a result of a partnership with SparkRebel, Getty Images, the reputed creator and distributor of still imagery, has enabled the integration of its PicScout ImageIRC platform into photo sharing sites, ensuring that content owners receive proper credit and compensation.

"The rise of image-rich platforms sites like SparkRebel showcases the power of imagery to drive user engagement in an increasingly visual world, where rapidly growing user-bases share online content at unprecedented speeds," said Offir Gutelzon, vice president of business development at Getty Images, and cofounder of PicScout.

Touted as the world's most comprehensive image identification technology, the PicScout ImageIRC platform reportedly has the world's largest index of image fingerprints and metadata that assures every image gets its credit.

ImageIRC "fingerprints" images using an advanced image recognition technique that identifies unique patterns within the image, and unlike watermarks, they cannot be erased, modified or edited.

With the partnership, SparkRebel and Getty Images are paving the way to create a legal option for users to incorporate high quality copyrighted material, where every image is properly licensed to the benefit of platforms, content owners, advertisers, shareholders and investors.

All ImageIRC content partners will be offered the opportunity to opt their content in for this service.

Images will be identified and granted licenses after members share and post images to the site.

PicScout ImageIRC currently holds more than 80 million images representing content from over 200 content providers, including content from nearly 200,000 photographers worldwide that have voluntarily submitted their content for indexing through the platform.

SparkRebel, originally created to transform the discovery and shopping experience for uses, is now positioned to proactively protect its members and support content owners with well-deserved credit and compensation.

Global alternative asset manager The Carlyle Group and Getty Images management have also formed a partnership to acquire Getty Images, Inc. from Hellman & Friedman for $3.3 billion.

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