Getty Images gets Scoopt

Getty Images has bought citizen journalism photo agency Scoopt for an undisclosed fee.

Getty plans to fully integrate Scoopt into its organization and to distribute images captured by non-professionals alongside its current supply of pictures.

Currently Scoopt members can text and email still images and video to the agency so it can sell images on their behalf to the international press.

Photographers who submit imagery to Scoopt retain copyright but grant the agency a 12-month exclusive license that authorizes re-license to one or more publishers.

According to Getty contributors will benefit from increased visibility and an extensive network of media contacts, earning a 'significant' percentage of the value for each license issued - forty percent (40%) of the net license receipts will go to those that submit content.

Getty said it would invest in technology upgrades and other enhancements to make the Scoopt site more accessible to customers.

"New technology has made it easier to capture and distribute imagery, leading to citizen photojournalism that is increasingly relevant to the news cycle," said Jonathan Klein, co-founder and CEO of Getty Images, in a press release.

"While this genre will never replace the award-winning photojournalism for which we're known, it's a highly complementary offering that enables us to meet the evolving imagery needs of a broad customer base."

"We're very much looking forward to taking our business to the next level by collaborating with the world's leading imagery provider," said Kyle MacRae, founder of Scoopt.

"This acquisition will exponentially expand our customer base and establish a strong foundation for long-term growth."

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