 Visit this section often to learn about new additions to the PLUS system and new supporters of this international initiative. Keep on top of the most recent developments that affect you and your organization.
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January 2010
Hindsight Software integrates the PLUS Standards. Desktop business management programs InView and StockView 5.5 include a new PLUS – compliant licensing module for photographers. More. Press Release.
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December 2009
Marybeth Peters, Register of Copyrights, meets with Jeff Sedlik, PLUS President and CEO, and Senior Copyright Office staff to discuss continued cooperation between the PLUS Coalition and the Copyright Office. Among the topics covered: automated copyright registration, PLUS Registry integration, improvements to the eCO registration system, reform of federal regulations to simplify registration, the use of PLUS metadata in copyright registration searches and the progress of the PLUS initiative. The PLUS Coalition was formed in part based upon a discussion between Sedlik and Ms. Peters in 2002.
The Smithsonian Institution presents a special PLUS event, “Beyond the Copyright Field: Current Trends in Rights & Licensing Metadata.” PLUS President, Jeff Sedlik, spoke before an audience of rights and reproduction staff from over two dozen of the various units across the Smithsonian Institution. Additional attendees included the Smithsonian DAMS department, attorneys from the General Counsel and office of contracting. Alan Newman, of the National Gallery of Art, provided an overview of the integration of the PLUS Standards into the digital asset management system at the National Gallery of Art.
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November 2009
PLUS Presents at DAM LA. PLUS participated in the 2009 Henry Stewart Digital Asset Management Conference, in a seminar entitled “Latest Developments in Rights Management.” More.
PLUS Presents at the Museum Computer Network Conference 2009, PLUS spoke to the Intellectual Property Special Interest Group of the Museum Computer Network (MCN), at their annual conference in Portland, Oregon. PLUS provided an update and a proposed agenda for the PLUS Cultural Heritage Working Group (PLUS-CH). PLUS-CH will identify and recommend revisions to the PLUS standards necessary to support image licensing workflows in museums, archives, libraries and educational institutions. More.
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October 2009
APA Supports PLUS with a $25,000 grant. Advertising Photographers of America has made a major contribution to the PLUS Coalition, supporting further development of the PLUS standards and the PLUS Registry. APA National President, Theresa Raffetto, says, "APA is proud to stand with PLUS in their pursuit to complete this registry to combine universal standards for image licensing with a global registration system for creators and licensors. We hope that our significant grant to the PLUS Coalition will inspire others to increase their support of this critical initiative." More.
ASMP Awards $150,000 in Funding to PLUS. This significant grant from the American Society of Media Photographers will support development of the PLUS Registry, a resource providing unique searchable identifiers and image recognition to determine an image creator's name, contact information and usage rights. "The PLUS Registry is an important tool which will greatly benefit ASMP members and all professional photographers," said Richard Kelly, President of ASMP and Principal of Richard Kelly Photography. "We are pleased to be able to use funds from the Author's Coalition for this important initiative." More.
PLUS selects PicScout Technology. The PLUS Coalition has named PicScout the exclusive provider of image recognition services to the PLUS Registry. Image users will easily and quickly identify image owners and will access image rights information simply by uploading a copy of an unidentified image to the online PLUS Registry. PicScout's proven image recognition technology will then identify any matching images in the PLUS Registry, and PLUS will provide the image user with the names of the creator, copyright owner and authorized licensors for the image. Image users may also use PLUS-IDs and Digimarc technology to identify rights holders and rights information in the PLUS Registry. More.
ACAP Releases Version 1.1 with PLUS Integration. Automated Content Access Protocol (ACAP) has released a new version allowing search engine web crawlers to recognize the presence of embedded PLUS rights metadata in images found on web sites. More.
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July 2009
PSPA joins PLUS.Professional School Photographers Association International (PSPA) advances the business of school photography. Through education, research, and events, PSPA honors generations of professional photographers and labs who established the time-honored value of capturing memories, elevating professional standards, and discovering new business strategies. PSPA will be focusing its PLUS Coalition participation on ensuring that school photographers and their customers will benefit from simplified communication of rights information and automated recognition of image licenses by photofinishing services, photofinishing machines and consumer photo printers.
PLUS to Update Picture Licensing Glossary. In the first quarter of 2010, PLUS will commence work on the addition of terms not yet included in the PLUS Picture Licensing Glossary. This process will involve an open Standards Review by all industries, followed by a Working Group Review, and ratification by the PLUS Board.� In addition to supplementing the Glossary with numerous terms suggested after the completion of Glossary version 1.0, PLUS will be synchronizing the Glossary with other PLUS standards completed after publication of Glossary version1.0, so that all terms in all PLUS standards will be defined in the PLUS Glossary. After this initial synchronization process (planned at the outset of the initiative), all PLUS standards will be permanently synchronized. To volunteer for participation in the standards review process, contact info@useplus.org
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June 2009
PLUS Presents at CEPIC Dresden.PLUS General Counsel Nancy Wolf participated in the 2009 CEPIC Congress in Dresden, making a presentation on image rights issues. PLUS member CEPIC hosted a very successful and informative conference, with over 600 participants from 39 countries worldwide.
PLUS Participates in MILE image rights event. The MILE initiative hosted "Know Your Rights," an event in Dresden focused on trying to improve the security of digital images online by showcasing and discussing technological developments such as digital watermarking, image tracking and PLUS.
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May 2009
PLUS Admitted to MILE. After review by the European Commission, the PLUS Coalition has been admitted to MILE - the Metadata Image Library Exploitation initiative. MILE seeks to harmonize the use of metadata in images throughout the European community. PLUS has participated in MILE from its inception, and is cooperating with MILE and promoting the adoption and use of PLUS rights metadata standards to satisfy the directives of the European Commission.
PLUS in the Photofinishing Sector. In response to interest from retail photographers, photofinishing machine manufacturers and major retailers, a PLUS Working Group is now forming to establish best practices for the use of the PLUS standards to provide image consumers and photofinishing retailers with ready access to rights information associated with portrait, wedding, event, school and sports team photography. The results will allow photofinishing machines to recognize rights information embedded in digital photographs submitted by consumers to photofinishers for printing, and to provide consumers with contact information for the rights holder, when needed. To particpate, contact info@useplus.org
PLUS Participates in World Copyright Summit.PLUS CEO Jeff Sedlik was an invited speaker at the World Copyright Summit, which brought together creators, rights organizations and guilds, policymakers, content service providers, broadcasters, telecommunications operators, hardware manufacturers and legal experts to debate the future of copyright and the distribution of creative works in the digital era. There were over 600 attendees from 290 companies and 68 countries.
PLUS Publishes the First Issue of PLUSnews, an e-newsletter offering updates, commentary and other information about the PLUS Coalition and the PLUS standards. PLUSnews is distributed to over 60,000 professionals in 30 countries. The PLUSnews is available online. For a free subscription, contact info@useplus.org
An Art Producer's Perspective on the PLUS Standards. Kat Dalager, Director of Print Production for leading ad agency Campbell Mithun, offers this perspective on PLUS: "The PLUS Standards make our jobs easier, allowing us to avoid misunderstandings, reduce liability, save resources, and concentrate on what really matters -- producing and delivering great work for ...... Click here to read more.
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March 2009
Northplains Commits to Integrate PLUS in Telescope DAM, an award-winning digital asset management platform that enables the secure access, management and distribution of all digital and rich media content across an entire organization. More on Northplains and Telescope.
Hugo & Cat Integrating PLUS Licensing for the Bridgeman Archive. Hugo & Cat, an online and interactive consultancy creating engaging and practical solutions for complex brand and business challenges, has announced that it is integrating PLUS standards into the image licensing platform of the Bridgeman Archive, one of the world's leading picture libraries.
PLUS to Launch Working Group for Copyright Management Organizations. Copyright management organizations collect and distribute royalties resulting from the duplication, reproduction and performance of various types of intellectual property.The PLUS standards will be used by rights holders and Copyright Management Organizations to aid in identifying owners and licensors associated with images duplicated in print and electronic media, including reprographic duplication and associated royalties.The PLUS CMO Working Group will determine necessary revisions to the PLUS standards to accommodate use by CMOs, and will develop best practices guidelines. To participate, contact info@useplus.org
IPN Commits to Integrate PLUS Standards.The Independent Photography Network has committed to include PLUS in IPNStock, an image licensing portal organized to provide easy access and a large diversity of choices for art buyers and photo editors worldwide. IPNstock.com incorporates the best features of the Web: easy navigation, viral search capabilities, new images daily, lightboxes, e-commerce licensing, slideshows, built-in pricing and excellent customer service.
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February 2009
Digital Fusion Commences PLUS Integration. A leading digital photographic rental & post-production facility, Digital Fusion specializes in state of the art studio and location digital capture, retouching, scanning, printing and archiving. Building on a foundation of post production , DF is adding PLUS to allow its customers to leverage the standards when delivering photographs.
Copyright Registry to Integrate PLUS Standards. The Copyright Registry, not affiliated with the US Copyright Office, is an internet-only service that is owned by StockPhotoFinder.com (a PLUS Leadership Circle member), and was created specifically to anticipate and address key elements of impending "Orphan Works" legislation. The Copyright Registry will incorporate the PLUS standards to allow users to easily identify and understand the rights associated with images. Randy Taylor, President of StockPhotoFinder.com, is a PLUS volunteer and conceived of the numbering system for the PLUS Summary Code.
PLUS forming Digital Asset Management Working Group. Over the coming months, PLUS is inviting Digital Asset Management consultants and application developers to participate on a working group dedicated to the integration of PLUS in DAM applications. This Working Group will be activated in early 2010, as part of the PLUS "Integration Phase."
Lightbox Network to Integrate PLUS Standards.Lightbox Network is a leading tool used to accomplish the many collaborative tasks professional photographers, labs, and photo editors need to perform with digital photographs. From Prep to Shoot to Post to Delivery, LightBox Network is comprised of simple and powerful features that enable the users to easily communicate, collaborate and do the business of photography. Lightbox Network will integrate PLUS standards to allow users from all industries to easily communicate and manage the rights associated with their photography projects.
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January 2009
PLUS Canada Launched. Hundreds of professionals attended the launch of the PLUS-Canada Regional Working Group in Toronto, in an event hosted by the Canadian Association of Photographers and Illustrators in Communications (CAPIC). The packed event was held at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and was webcast live across Canada to hundreds of additional viewers, including groups of professionals gathered in studios to watch and participate interactively. Representatives of numerous industry sectors were present in the audience, including photographers, illustrators, stock agencies, designers, ad agencies, museums, libraries, software developers and educational institutions. A PLUS overview by Jeff Sedlik was followed by a lively panel discussion moderated by art buyer Heather Morton leading a panel featuring an art buyer, designer, photographer, illustrator and magazine photo editor from leading Canadian companies. Sedlik and the panel then fielded questions from the audience, including those watching via webcast. More.
 
(c)2009 Wingo Digital Studio
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November 2008
ASMP Funds Critical PLUS Initiatives. The American Society of Media Photographers has awarded a grant of $85,000 to the PLUS Coalition.This generous grant was made possible by a 2007 distribution of funds received by ASMP from the Author's Coalition of America. More.
Major Publishers Adopt PLUS Standards. Three major publishers have called for the adoption of the PLUS (Picture Licensing Universal System) standards by picture archives, photographers and all other image suppliers. Representatives of McGraw Hill, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and Pearson each announced that they will adopt the PLUS Picture Licensing Glossary definitions in their contracts, and that they encourage image suppliers to begin embedding PLUS license metadata in all images within one year. Press Release & More.
PLUS & IPTC Support Adoption of Metadata Working Group Guidelines. Intended to increase operability of digital image metadata across all hardware, software and services, the Guidelines were developed by a consortium of leading companies. More.
PLUS Presents at 2008 Henry Stewart DAM Conference. In "Rights, Images and PLUS: Challenges and Solutions," developers of Digital Asset Management systems received an overview of the PLUS Standards, and guidance on implementing PLUS in their applications.
PLUS Presents at 2008 Open-XMP Summit. In a meeting of industry-leading organizations PLUS discussed the benefits of implementing XMP to communicate rights information associated with images.
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October 2008
ImageSpan Launches LicenseStream Featuring PLUS Standards. PLUS Leadership Circle member, ImageSpan, launches a PLUS compliant web-based application for use by photographers and other image licensors in offering and managing their images. ImageSpan Press Release & ImageSpan.
PLUS Presents at 2008 PACA Conference. In "PLUS Takes Root in the Publishing Industry," PLUS CEO, Jeff Sedlik, moderated a panel of leading publishers in a discussion of the challenges faced by publishers in managing the rights associated with the huge number of images that they receive from image suppliers. The publishers were unanimous in their support of the adoption of the PLUS Standards, which will allow for the automation of rights management in digital asset management systems.
BlinkBid to Integrate PLUS Standards. The developers of BlinkBid, a leading application used by photographers to create estimates and invoices, commit to incorporate the PLUS Standards. BlinkBid.
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 PLUS Plug-in Beta. Developer Timothy Armes begins beta testing of a plug-in that allows users of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 to embed PLUS metadata in image files. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.
PLUS & IPTC Support Adoption of Metadata Working Group Guidelines. Intended to increase operability of digital image metadata across all hardware, software and services, the Guidelines were developed by a consortium of leading companies. More.
McGraw-Hill Joins the PLUS Coalition
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Joins the PLUS Coalition
Adobe Announces CS4. PLUS Leadership Circle member Adobe Systems has announced Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop CS4 Extended. Look for PLUS "File Info" panels in an update to CS4. More info.
IPTC Integrates PLUS Standards. The Board of Directors of the IPTC voted to approve a revision to the IPTC Photo Metadata Standard, incorporating a significant number of rights-related fields established in the PLUS Standards.
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September 2008
20/20 Sotware Annouces PLUS Integration. The PLUS Standards will appear in 20/20 Software's Prostock Agency image licensing platform, allowing users to select from standardized PLUS licensing menus, and to benefit from embedded PLUS license metadata. More.
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August 2008
J. Paul Getty Museum Joins the PLUS Coalition
Pound Hill Offers Metagrove Adobe Plug-ins Featuring PLUS "File Info" Panels. More.
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July 2008
Metropolitan Museum of Art Joins the PLUS Coalition
ACAP Adopts PLUS Standards. Automated Content Access Protocol has adopted PLUS to allow internet search engines to recognize rights information embedded in digital image files on the web. More.
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June 2008
Capture, Ltd Announces Adoption of PLUS Standards
PLUS Presents at Photo Metadata Conference, Malta.
David Riecks, PLUS Technical Advisor, provided a PLUS update to the attendees at the 2nd annual Photo Metadata Conference in Malta. Organized by IPTC and IFRA, and hosted by CEPIC, the annual event focuses exclusively on photo metadata, bringing together all interested parties. The conference promotes improved workflow and business processes through proper usage of metadata.
PLUS Coalition, LTD, aka "PLUS-Europe," headquartered in the UK, is chartered as as an EU-based non-profit organization.
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May 2008
Digital Railroad Announces Broad Adoption of the PLUS Standards
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March 2008
PLUS President Honored by Brooks Institute. On March 1, Jeff Sedlik, Co-founder and CEO of PLUS, was presented with an Honorary Master of Fine Arts degree in Photography at the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara for his professional achievements, dedication, and loyalty to the photography profession. He also delivered the commencement address.
Visual Resource Association (VRA) joins PLUS as a Trade Association Member. VRA is a multi-disciplinary organization dedicated to furthering research and education in the field of image management working in primarily educational and cultural heritage environments. The VRA holds a seat on the PLUS Board of Directors, representing the education sector.
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February 2008
New Board Members Elected. PLUS has significantly expanded its board of directors for 2008. Collectively, the PLUS board members represent the interests of all industries involved in creating, distributing, using and preserving images. More.
Adobe Renews Support of PLUS Adobe Systems Inc renews its high level Leadership Circle membership in PLUS, pledging a third year of financial and logistical support of the initiative.
PLUS Partipates in the Photo Marketing Association's PMA 08 Conference in Las Vegas.
PLUS Participates in ASMP's "Strictly Business 2" program in Los Angeles.
Update to PLUS License Data Format standard
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January 2008
PLUS releases Beta 0.2 release of the PLUS License Embedder and Reader Tool, available in the Standards Library in the USEPLUS section of the PLUS web site.
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December 2007
PLUS and the US Congress At the invitation of the Library of Congress, the PLUS Coalition participated in Technology and Orphan Works: The State of the Art event on Capitol Hill on December 7 2007. Together with Google and other leading companies, PLUS met with dozens of legislators and legislative staff to discuss the application of standards and technology in solving the orphan works challenge.
Digimarc joins PLUS Digimarc joins PLUS as a high-level Leadership Circle member. PLUS will feature Digimarc's industry-leading digital watermark technology in the PLUS Registry system.
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November 2007
In Memorium; Jane Kinne, a co-founder and director of the PLUS Coalition, passed away November 3rd from complications of a stroke following heart surgery. She was 82. Jane was widely acknowledged one of the original architects of the commercial stock photography business, and as a long-time leader in developing professional business practices in the photo industry. She worked actively for nearly sixty years helping to build two stock agencies, leading several industry trade groups, and working as a business and legal consultant. She was a friend and mentor to many. Jane was an ardent supporter of the PLUS Mission. She believed that facilitating image licensing and bringing the picture licensing business into the 21st century with universal and professional standards were important goals worthy of her time and effort. As a co-founder of the organization, Jane helped us to clearly define our mission and guided us with her wealth of industry experience. We will miss her gracious wit and savvy counsel. Jane is survived by her husband of 50 years, Russ Kinne, and their daughter Katherine. Contributions in Jane's name may be made to the NANPA Infinity Foundation, a fund to foster an appreciation of nature through photography.
PLUS admitted to WIPO. The Board of the World Intellectual Property Organization has granted the PLUS Coalition "WIPO Observer" status in recognition of the efforts of the PLUS Coaltion to promote international standards for the communication and management of intellectual property rights. PLUS actively participates in WIPO initiatives and activites.
PLUS and IDEAlliance co-host the XMP Open Content Metadata Summit in Los Angeles.
PLUS Participates in the Henry Stewart DAM Conference in Los Angeles.
PLUS Presents at the Museum Computer Network Conference, Chicago.
PLUS Presents at the Digital Library Federation Fall Forum, Philadelphia.
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October 2007
PLUS Presents at the MILE Intellectual Property Frameworks Seminar in Barcelona. The Metadata Image Library Exploitation (MILE) initiative seeks to harmonize the use of metadata in images throughout the European community. PLUS is cooperating with MILE and is is promoting the adoption and use of PLUS rights metadata standards to satisfy the directives of the European Commission.
First Meeting of PLUS-Spain Working Group. The organizations of Spain meet in Barcelona to form the PLUS-Spain Regional Working Group, adding to a growing list of such groups aroudn the world.
New PLUS tools! Use the free beta version of the PLUS License Generator to create a PLUS Universal License Summary. Then, embed the Summary into digital image files using the free beta version of the PLUS License Embedder & Reader (see the PLUS Standards Library), which can also be used to read and decode the license information embedded in the image file or contained in an xmp file, allowing anyone, anywhere to easily access and understand the scope of rights associated with the image.
PLUS Technical Specifications published. Visit the PLUS Standards Library to access Technical Specifications intended for use by application developers when integrating PLUS standards into applications used for capturing, editing, managing, displaying, licensing and archiving of images. After an intensive two-year international standards review process with participation by more than 2000 creators, distributors, art buyers, designers, attorneys, editors, publishers and cultural heritage institutions, the PLUS Image Licensing Standards were approved on November 1 2006 for worldwide use by all industries. After approval, work immediately began on the PLUS Technical Specifications, released on schedule in October 2007.
IFRRO Joins PLUS. The International Federation of Reprographic Rights Organizations joins PLUS, and will participate on the new PLUS Copyright Management Organization Committee.
CCC Joins PLUS. The Copyright Clearance Center, a Reprographic Rights Organization based in the U.S., joins PLUS, and will participate in the new PLUS Copyright Management Organization Committee.
PLUS Standards and Tools Showcased at PhotoPlus Expo in New York City. PLUS booth generously sponsored by PLUS Leadership Circle member ADBASE.
PLUS Presents Rights & Photography, Challenges & Solutions, a panel discussion featuring representatives of publishers, creators and stock agencies. Sponsored by ADBASE, with additional sponsorship by Adobe and Epson.
PLUS Presents at APA Copyright Seminar. PLUS CEO Jeff Sedlik provided an overview of copyright issues faced by creators, and of the use of the PLUS system to communicate and manage copyright information.
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September 2007
PLUS prepares to release technical specifications and beta applications.
PLUS-Japan Summit in Tokyo. Key stakeholders and trade associations from the image licensing industries of Japan converged on Tokyo on September 11 for an event dedicated to the launch of the latest PLUS Regional Working Group, PLUS-Japan. The summit, organized by Japan Photographers Union (a founding member of the PLUS Coalition), was well attended by leading organizations. PLUS presentations were made simultaneiously in both English and Japanese, accompanied by PLUS printed materials in Japanese. Participants were provided with a detailed description of the PLUS initiative, followed by an extended interactive Q&A session. The PLUS-Japan Working Group was launched, and is now recruiting additional participants. A Japanese translation of the PLUS Glossary and other standards is well under way. The Summit was preceded and followed by instensive meetings between PLUS and industry representatives in Tokyo.
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August 2007
NAPP Joins PLUS. The National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) joins the PLUS Coalition, participating in PLUS standards building and education on behalf of its 50,000 members in 107 countries around the world. Founded in 1998, the NAPP is a leading worldwide central resource for Adobe Photoshop training, education and news.
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July 2007
Alan Newman, National Gallery of Art joins the PLUS Board of Directors. A neutral, apolitical, multi-industry body, the PLUS Board of Directors is the primary governing body of the Coalition, and includes one seat for each industry sector involved in creating, distributing, using or preserving images. PLUS Board seats are held by delegates of leading associations. Mr. Newman has been appointed to the Museum Seat on the PLUS Board, serving on behalf of the Museum Computer Network (MCN), representing the interests of museums worldwide. Mr. Newman is the Chief of the Division of Imaging and Visual Services at the National Gallery of Art, and previously served as the Executive Director of the Imaging Department at the Art Institute of Chicago. More
PLUS Board of Directors convenes for annual Board Retreat. The Directors met in Santa Barbara, California for two days of intensive discussion and strategic planning.
Microsoft invites PLUS to address the industry at the Microsoft Pro Photo Summit 2007. PLUS President Jeff Sedlik addressed a packed audience of industry leaders at this major industry event on the Microsoft campus near Seattle. Sedlik spoke on the challenges facing creators, distributors, users and cultural heritage institutions in obtaining and verifying permission to use images, and identifying and contacting the rights holders. All of these communities are working collaboratively as the PLUS Coalition to implement standards and registries that will provide the solution.
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June 2007
IPTC Photo Metadata White Paper 2007 promotes the use of the PLUS standards for communicating image rights metadata. PLUS representatives Jeff Sedlik and David Riecks represent the PLUS Coalition on the IPTC Photo Metadata Working Group, and co-authored the IPTC white paper with other IPTC members. IPTC is a Leadership Circle Sustaining Member of the PLUS Coalition and PLUS is a member of the IPTC as well. PLUS and IPTC collaborate on metadata standardization, with PLUS addressing image rights metadata, and IPTC addressing other pertinent image metadata.
PLUS Presents at the International Photo Metadata Conference. Over 130 delegates from leading organizations worldwide attended this unprecedented event in Florence. Presenters included PLUS, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, Canon, Reuters, IPTC, BVPA, BAPLA, IFRA, IPTC, Fotoware, Hasselblad, and others. The audience included representatives of manufacturers, photography associations, stock agencies, software companies, attorneys and others. PLUS was presented as the universal solution allowing all image creators, distributors, users and archives to communicate rights metadata. The conference, hosted by PLUS member CEPIC and organized by PLUS member IPTC in conjunction with IRFA, was sponsored by PLUS member Adobe Systems.
PLUS Presents at the CEPIC Conference in Florence. A record number of more than 900 delegates from almost 500 companies and some 50 countries and five continents attended this Worldwide Picture Summit covering all aspects of the image licensing business. The Congress was hosted and organized by PLUS member CEPIC (Coordination of European Picture Agencies Press Stock Heritage). CEPIC's membership includes over 1000 stock photo libraries, major photo news agencies, art galleries and museums. The PLUS Coalition includes broad participation across the EU, and CEPIC is leading the way.
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May 2007
Stock Artists Alliance releases SAA PLUS Packs Calculator. The SAA is an international association of professional photographers and others who create visual works for stock licensing. SAA leadership and members have contributed significantly to the development of the PLUS standards, alongside other organizations from all industries. SAA Executive Director Betsy Reid served as Chair of the PLUS Packs Working Group and played a central role in standards development process. SAA has yet again stepped up to the plate with the release of the SAA PLUS Packs Calculator, a free tool for use by anyone engaged in image licensing. The Calculator, programmed by SAA member Rivaldo Does, allows for each licensor to independently determining pricing, and allows image licensees to quickly and easily select PLUS Packs in a simple, intuitive web interface. SAA and PLUS encourage the adoption and use of the SAA PLUS Packs Calculator. Free download and more information here.
ADBASE increases its support of PLUS to Champion Sustaining Member. ADBASE is the leading source of mailing lists for photographers, illustrators, representatives, stock agencies and TV broadcast companies
PLUS in the Publishing Industry PLUS presents at the Association of American Publishers' Rights and Permissions Advisory Committee Annual Conference.
PLUS presents at PACA Conference in Washington, DC.
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April 2007
PLUS presents to PRISM, a working group of PLUS Sustaining Member organization IDEAlliance.
The Society of Illustrators (SI) joins PLUS as a Trade Association member.
Coordination of European Picture Agencies Press Stock Heritage (CEPIC) joins PLUS as a Trade Association member.
PLUS Board approves new PLUS membership structure
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March 2007
The Association of Medical Illustrators (AMI) joins PLUS as a Trade Association member.
PLUS Guru Advisory Group is formed.
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February 2007
ADBASE President and Co-Founder, Nelson Nunes, to bring his 15 years experience in technological innovations to PLUS as new CTO.
PLUS establishes offices in California.
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January 2007
The Canadian Association of Photographers and Illustrators in Communication (CAPIC) joins PLUS as a Trade Association member.
IDEAlliance joins PLUS as a Benefactor Sustaining Member.
PLUS launches newly re-designed website.
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December 2006
Editorial Photographers (EP) joins PLUS as a Trade Association member.
PLUS printed glossaries available for online purchase.
Advertising and Illustrative Photographers Association (AIPA) joins PLUS as a Trade Association member.
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November 2006
PLUS achieves approval of Global Image Licensing Standards at the PhotoPlus Expo in New York City. Supplementing last year's release of the PLUS Glossary, PLUS achieved approval of four additional licensing standards: The PLUS Media Matrix, PLUS Packs, PLUS License Data Format, and PLUS-ID System. Read entire press release here.
PLUS presents at PACA Conference in Key West, Florida.
White House News Photographers Association (WHNPA) joins PLUS as a Trade Association member.
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October 2006
Pyramide Europe joins PLUS as a Trade Association member. Pyramide Europe represents over 80,000 photographers, designers and illustrators throughout Europe.
ADBASE joins PLUS as a Benefactor Sustaining Member. ADBASE is a leading source of mailing lists for photographers, illustrators, representatives, stock agencies and TV broadcast companies.
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August 2006
WongDoody joins PLUS as a Benefactor Sustaining Member. WongDoody finds creative solutions to marketing problems that embrace any and all distribution channels.
Masterfile joins PLUS as an Advocate Sustaining Member. Masterfile is a stock photo agency with a large collection of Rights-Managed and Royalty-Free photos and illustrations by world-class artists covering a wide range of subjects.
The British Association of Picture Libraries and Agencies (BAPLA) joins PLUS as a Trade Association member. BAPLA is the UK trade association for picture libraries and the largest organization of its kind in the world. With over 400 member companies, it represents the vast majority of commercial picture libraries and agencies in the UK.
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July 2006
ImageSpan joins PLUS as a Benefactor Sustaining Member. Imagespan is a content usage and settlement platform deployed either as a managed web service or as a web based application for advertising, print and mobility ecosystems. Imagespan is a complete workflow for the integration of various formats of licensable content, media acquisition, rights management, automated advertising and media distribution.
Belay Development increases its support of PLUS to Benefactor Sustaining Membership. Belay Development provides Information Technology, E-commerce, Web site, Graphic Design and Application Development services to its clients.
StockPhotoFinder joins PLUS as a Benefactor Sustaining Member. Supported by leading edge technology, StockPhotoFinder.com is a photo search engine that saves users hours each day by enabling them to easily refine searches, edit selections and directly contact all kinds of independent image providers in the fewest steps possible.
Photo District News (PDN) joins PLUS as a Benefactor Sustaining Member. PDN is an award-winning monthly magazine that has been covering the professional photographic industry for over two decades.
Editorial Photographers United Kingdom & Ireland (EPUK) joins PLUS as a Trade Association member. EPUK is a private email group and public resource for editorial photographers who want to talk about the nuts and bolts of being in business.
Professional Photographers of America (PPA) joins PLUS as a Trade Association member. PPA is the world's largest not-for-profit association for professional photographers, with more than 14,000 members in 64 countries. PPA seeks to increase its members' business savvy as well as broaden their creative scope.
Association of Photographers (AOP) joins PLUS as a Trade Association member. The AOP brings professional photographers together, protecting their rights and promoting photography.
Picture Research Association (PRA) joins PLUS as a Trade Association member. The PRA is a professional organization for picture researchers, picture editors, and anyone specifically involved in the research, management and supply of visual material to the media industry.
Wedding & Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) joins PLUS as a Trade Association member. WPPI has grown to be the largest trade show and convention in professional photography. As an association, WPPI works hard to meet the needs of wedding, portrait, commercial, photojournalism and fine art photographers.
National Union of Journalists (NUJ) joins PLUS as a Trade Association member. NUJ is the union for journalists in Britain and Ireland. The union was founded in 1907 and has fought for journalists, their pay and conditions, their working rights and their professional freedom ever since.
Union des Photographes Createurs (UPC) joins PLUS as a Trade Association member. UPC, the French trade association for professional photographers, protects and defends the interests of photographers as creators.
Corbis, Getty Images and JupiterImages join and support the PLUS Coalition. The PLUS Coalition has announced that Getty Images and Corbis have joined the Coalition as Charter Sustaining Members, and that JupiterImages has committed to a second year of Sustaining Membership in the PLUS "Leadership Circle." Although new to PLUS Membership, both Getty Images and Corbis have been involved in the PLUS initiative from its inception. The participation of the three largest stock agencies in the industry further demonstrates an industry-wide commitment to create the PLUS international licensing standards, including a universal licensing language that is easy to understand, and easy to use. read entire press release
Graphic Artists Guild (GAG) joins PLUS as a Trade Association member. The Guild is a national union of illustrators, designers, web creators, production artists, surface designers and other creatives who have come together to pursue common goals, share their experience, raise industry standards, and improve the ability of visual creators to achieve satisfying and rewarding careers.
The Association of Illustrators (AOI) joins PLUS as a Trade Association member. The AOI was established to advance and protect illustrator's rights and encourage professional standards. The AOI is dedicated to its members' professional interests and the promotion of illustration.
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June 2006
PLUS attends the Microsoft Pro Photography Summit at Microsoft Headquarters near Seattle, Washington. PLUS meets with leaders of trade organizations participating in the Coalition.
PLUS presentation to the International DOI Foundation meeting at Oxford University. The Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is a system for identifying content objects in the digital environment; DOIs are unique identifiers assigned to any entity for use on digital networks. PLUS and DOI are exploring a collaborative effort. PLUS meets with leading publishers and rights clearance agencies to continue their cooperative work.
PLUS meeting with representatives of photography organizations in London, several of which have participated significantly in the Coalition. Attendees include representatives from the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), EPUK, SAA-UK, Pyramide, Association of Illustrators (AOI) and Association of Photographers (AOP). The meeting is held to update these participants on the progress of the initiative, and to move ahead, on schedule, with formation of the PLUS-UK working group, which is charged with addressing issues of specific interest to UK licensors and licensees. PLUS-UK will serve as the model for other regional working groups to be formed by participants worldwide.
Left to right:
Pete Jenkins, NUJ
John Toner, NUJ
Pamela Martin, NUJ
Andrew Wiard, AOP, EPUK
Martin Beckett, AOP, Pyramide
Chris Elsdale, SAA-UK
Derek Brazell, AOI
Mike Laye, AOP, VCI
Jeff Sedlik, PLUS
PLUS meeting in Paris at UPC Headquarters, held to update the French associations on the progress of PLUS. Attending were Christian Chamourat, President of AGESSA; Eric Delamarre, President of the UPC; Cecile WANG, Attorney, UPC; Olivier Brillanceau, General Director of SAIF; Peter Lippman, UPC member; and Herve Haddad, owner of Zen Studio, who served as the meeting facilitator and translator.
PLUS presentation at the CEPIC World Congress in Biarritz, France. CEPIC is a European Economic Interest Group (EEIG) representing the interests of over 1,000 picture associations, picture agencies, and image libraries in Europe. The 2006 CEPIC World Congress attracted 737 delegates from 412 companies and 50 countries. PLUS President & CEO Jeff Sedlik engages the audience in a discussion of the international community's role in developing and implementing the PLUS standards. At the Congress, Sedlik also meets with many participating picture agencies from around the world to provide updates on the progress of PLUS.
Jeff Sedlik, PLUS president and CEO, is named PhotoMedia Magazine's Person of the Year for his work with PLUS. Each year, PhotoMedia recognizes a person in the photography industry who has best demonstrated exceptional artistic and business accomplishments, photographic passion, devotion to the industry, inspiration to colleagues and humanitarian achievements in the community. For his dedication to the above ideals, his commitment to teaching business skills to young photographers and his efforts to standardize image licensing practices, PhotoMedia honored Jeff with this award. "Jeff Sedlik: Navigating the Licensing Waters"
NewsCom joins PLUS as a Catalyst Sustaining Member. NewsCom is a world leader in providing publishers with high-quality content from a wide variety of global sources.
National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) joins PLUS as a Trade Association member. The NPPA is dedicated to the advancement of photojournalism in all media.
Newspaper Association of America (NAA) joins PLUS as a Trade Association member. NAA focuses on six key strategies that collectively affect the newspaper industry: marketing, public policy, diversity, industry development, newspaper operations and readership.
United States Digital Imaging Group (USDIG) joins PLUS as a Trade Association member. USDIG is open to all professionals involved in digital imaging, to help develop knowledge of "best practices" in digital imaging and to provide a forum for discussion with colleagues.
Preparation of the drafts for the PLUS Media Matrix and License Data Format continues. Drafts will be presented to the PLUS Advisory Council for review and comment.
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May 2006
Digital Railroad joins PLUS as a Benefactor Sustaining Member. Digital Railroad is a trusted provider of online technology and services to the buyers and sellers of professional photography worldwide.
Japan Photographers Union (JPU) joins PLUS as a Trade Association member.
Studio Photography Magazine publishes an article about PLUS. "The PLUS Coalition: Will This Organization Change the Future of Our Industry?"
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April 2006
PLUS presentation at the PACA Conference in Chicago. Jeffrey Burke, PLUS Chairman of the Board and former PACA president, announces his retirement as Jupitermedia's Senior Vice President of Product Strategy. He also discusses the PLUS system with the attending community of stock picture agencies, emphasizing the importance of the PLUS initiative to the future of image licensing. "State of the Stock Picture Licensing Industry 2006" Jeff Sedlik updates the assembled picture agencies on the progress of PLUS in a presentation; many agencies express their continued support of the initiative.
Stock Asylum publishes an article about PLUS. "Industry Standards...If all goes as planned, the Plus Coalition should have all three pieces of new image licensing standards in place by mid-October..."
Illustrators' Partnership of America (IPA) joins PLUS as a Trade Association member. IPA is a non-profit organization, whose goal is to create a collective management agency to administer the rights of professional illustrators working in the United States.
Australian Commercial and Media Photographers Association (ACMP) joins PLUS as a Trade Association member. ACMP acts as a united voice for Australian professional working photographers.
Stock Artists Alliance (SAA) joins PLUS as a Trade Association member. SAA is an international organization of photographers who produce images for rights-protected license. The mission of the SAA is to protect and promote the business interests of its members with regard to the worldwide distribution of their intellectual property.
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March 2006
PLUS presentation at the IPTC Conference in Vancouver. The IPTC, based in Windsor, UK, is a consortium of the world's major news agencies and news industry vendors. It develops and maintains technical standards for improved news exchange that are used by virtually every major news organization in the world. PLUS and the conference attendees, representing the major publishers from around the world, explored the possibility of a collaboration between IPTC and PLUS.
Communication Arts publishes an article about PLUS. "PLUS: A New Relationship"
Corbis joins PLUS as a Catalyst Sustaining Member. Corbis has participated in PLUS from the outset, and reconfirms its commitment by officially joining PLUS and committing financial support to the initiative. Corbis provides advertisers, editors, publishers, filmmakers, and marketers with a single source for all of their visual needs -- not just images and footage, but the services that make them easy to source, locate, and license.
In response to numerous requests, work begins on a printed PLUS Glossary, slated for distribution in October 2006.
PLUS presentation and update at ASPP's 4th Education Conference in San Francisco.
PLUS President & CEO Jeff Sedlik introduces the PLUS System at the APA San Francisco event, part of his presentation called "Strategic Licensing with Jeff Sedlik: The Art & Science of Maximizing Your Profits."
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February 2006
American Society of Picture Professionals (ASPP) joins PLUS as a Trade Association member. ASPP is a nationwide organization of professionals who produce, sell, edit, catalog and use photographic imagery - a forum for education, information, dialogue, interaction and professional growth.
North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) joins PLUS as a Trade Association member. NANPA promotes the art and science of nature photography as a medium for nature appreciation and environmental protection.
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January 2006
PLUS presentation to the Washington, D.C. Chapter of the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) about copyright and the PLUS system.
Jeff Sedlik, PLUS President and CEO, meets with Marybeth Peters, Register of Copyrights, and Tanya Sandros, Associate General Counsel to the Copyright Office. Ms. Peters expresses her support of the PLUS Coalition towards creating image licensing standards. The PLUS Coalition was formed in part based upon a discussion between Sedlik and Ms. Peters in 2002.
Getty Images joins PLUS as a Catalyst Sustaining Member. Getty Images has participated in PLUS from the inception of the initiative, and reconfirms its commitment by joining PLUS and providing financial support. Getty Images creates and distributes some of the world's best and broadest imagery collections, making them available in the most accessible and usable way -- 24 hours a day, every day.
Jupiter Images renews its PLUS membership as a Champion Sustaining Member. The support and participation of Jupiter Images has been invaluable to the progress of the PLUS initiative. Jupiter Images provides creative professionals with high-quality images that inspire ideas, illustrate concepts and enhance the design of any project at any budget.
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December 2005
The British Journal of Photography runs a commentary by editor Simon Bainbridge, "Royalty-free has a cost," and a feature article about the initiative, "Standard to Challenge RF."
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November 2005
PLUS begins work on the Media Matrix and License Format standards, integrating examples collected from licensees and licensors worldwide.
At the PhotoPlus Expo in New York, PLUS convenes with its member organizations and various photography-related companies, including equipment manufacturers and distributors.
In conjunction with the 13th Henry Steward Digital Asset Management (DAM) Symposium in Los Angeles, PLUS meets with various leading DAM companies to discuss their implementation of the PLUS standards.
Photo District News (PDN) publishes an article introducing PLUS to its readers. "PLUS Launches with a Glossary of Licensing Terms and Big Ambitions"
The IRS gives its final approval of PLUS as a non-profit 501(c)6 corporation. PLUS formed as a non-profit New York Corporation in October 2004.
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October 2005
PLUS Publishes Universal Picture Licensing Glossary The PLUS Coalition has published the Universal Picture Licensing Glossary, a free resource providing industry standard definitions for more than 1300 terms used in transactions involving photography and illustration. The new PLUS Glossary is now online and available for use at the PLUS Coalition's newly launched web site, www.usePLUS.org. read entire press release
PLUS Glossary version 1.0 unveiled at PACA Conference in Redondo Beach, California in presentation by PLUS President & CEO Jeff Sedlik.
PLUS Glossary Working Group completes final review of PLUS Glossary Draft 3 on schedule. Publication of Glossary version 1.0 on track for October 16.
Shutterbug Magazine publishes an article about PLUS and its efforts. "P.L.U.S. Coalition Creates a Universal Language for Image Licensing"
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September 2005
PLUS soft-launches new web site, designed by Pentagram and Belay Development. Additional content added daily through official site launch on October 13, 2005.
PLUS Glossary Editors pass PLUS Glossary Draft 3 to the PLUS Glossary Working Group for final round of industry review. Working Group will evaluate and refine the PLUS Glossary for launch on this web site in Q4 2005.
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August 2005
PLUS Coalition Creates a Universal Lanugage for Image Licensing. Image Licensing Industries Cooperate On An Unprecedented Scale To Create New Worldwide Standards. New York, NY - August 23 2005 - The PLUS Coalition, a non-profit organization on a mission to simplify and facilitate the licensing of images, has just completed an international, industry-wide review of the PLUS Glossary, the first component of the Picture Licensing Universal System (PLUS). Due for release in the fourth quarter of 2005, the PLUS Glossary will provide standardized terms and definitions for use in image licensing transactions. read entire press release
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July 2005
PLUS editors process nearly 1000 comments and suggestions received from the Advisory Council during the PLUS Glossary Draft 2 Review Period. During this month-long review, the Advisory Council makes suggestions and proposes additional terms.
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May 2005
Advertising Photographers of America (APA) joins PLUS as a Trade Association member. The goal of APA is to establish, endorse and promote professional practices, standards and ethics in the photographic and advertising community.
American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) joins PLUS as a Trade Association member. ASMP promotes photographers' rights, educates photographers in better business practices, produces business publications for photographers and helps buyers find leading professional photographers.
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April 2005
PLUS presentation at the inaugural Adobe Ideas Conference in New York, which offers leaders from the design and publishing worlds a unique forum for sharing the latest trends from the industries' creative visionaries and showcasing new and emerging technologies.
AIGA, the professional association for design, joins PLUS as a Trade Association member. AIGA is committed to furthering excellence in design as a broadly-defined discipline, strategic tool for business and cultural force.
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March 2005
Picture Archive Council of America (PACA) joins PLUS as a Trade Association member. PACA's mission is to foster and protect the interests of the picture archive community through advocacy, education and communication.
Note: This Latest News section includes selected PLUS news beginning March 2005, and is not a comprehensive record of PLUS activities and accomplishments. The PLUS Coalition incorporated as a non-profit trade association in October 2004 after conducting research and preliminary activities.
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