Identifying and licensing contentjust got easier with the launch of ImageSpan's billing and automation platform embedded in the Adobe MediaBridge, reaching more than 100 million designers around the
world.
The new LicenseStream platform allows any digital content creator to define rights to their work and then sell that work online without paperwork, pricing hassles or
middlemen. Content creators can cut licensing costs by up to 90%.
The product was driven by increased distribution of creative through widgets and other variable localized online advertising
applications, said Iain Scholnick, CEO of ImageSpan. Content licensed through the program can also be used for print purposes.
LicenseStream subscribers can now access the platform directly from
Adobe Bridge CS3, with subscriptions starting at $39.95 per year.
Content creators can define extensive licensing terms before distributing their content on the Web. On the flip side, any
advertiser, social network or content developer can see licensing information and initiate a one-click Web-based licensing transaction without lawyers and phone calls.
The process becomes
completely transparent--avoiding liability, copyright infringement and transaction settlement issues.
"In the old world, there was always some leakage in the licensing market. Now with the
Internet, there is a new kind of problem," said Andrew Frank, vice president of research with Gartner. "The combination of the ability to scan for the material and support a standardized license model
is pretty helpful for people tracking the ways content can be used in the viral world of Web 2.0."
The Flash-based technology uses standards created by the Picture Licensing Universal System
(PLUS) that simplify the process of granting, obtaining and managing the permissions necessary to use photos and illustrations.
"We want our customers to have access to solutions that positively
impact their businesses and ultimately, protect their work," said Kevin Connor, senior director of product management for Adobe Systems.
Another ImageSpan service, CurbStream, provides on-demand
access to thousands of local videographers and photographers who shoot and upload raw local area content from around the country.