Today, Corbis announced the sale of its content licensing business to Unity Glory International, which is an affiliate of the Visual China Group (VCG), a leading Chinese visual communications and new media business. This sale includes the images and motion archives from Corbis Images, Corbis Motion, and Veer, and all their associated brands and trademarks. The sale does not include the Branded Entertainment Network, Splash, or Greenlight, its rights clearance and representation business.
So, what does this mean for you?
As a valued customer, we want you to know that nothing changes immediately for you today. You can continue to find and purchase content using your existing account and with the assistance of your current Corbis sales representative. Moving forward, VCG will be expanding their longstanding partnership with Getty Images, and, following a transition period, Getty Images will become the exclusive global distributor of Corbis content outside of China.
In the coming months, VCG and Getty Images will migrate Corbis Images and Corbis Motion content to gettyimages.com where it will become available as new collections. Once this transition is complete, you will have access to an unprecedented combined offering, with Corbis content available together with Getty Images’ award-winning collections of almost 200 million creative and editorial images and videos, all available from gettyimages.com and with support from Getty Images’ global sales teams. This offering includes the best of historical photography, combining Getty Images’ renowned Hulton Archive, the largest privately held archive in the world with an estimated 80 million images dating back to the beginning of photography, together with the Bettmann and Sygma archives from Corbis.
When Corbis sought a buyer for its Images, Motion and Veer assets, it wanted to find an excellent steward for its world-class archives and one that valued and appreciated its iconic library. Corbis also wanted to ensure that you, and all of its customers, continue to receive excellent service. Corbis believes that VCG is the right partner for all of these goals.
Working with Getty Images, VCG will be in touch over the coming weeks with more details about this transition. If you have questions or would like additional information, please see the press release here or refer to the questions and answers linked below.
