Free images Unsplash acquired by Getty Images

Unsplash, a free high-definition photo downloadable and unmarked for commercial and non-commercial use, announced that it was acquired by Getty Images, a paid stock photo site on March 30, 2021 (local time). did. Even after the acquisition, Unsplash operates independently of Getty Images and continues to provide services for free.

Michael Jo, founder and CEO of Unsplash, said he was pleased to announce that the company was acquired by Getty Images on March 30, and said that he was excited about the acquisition because it meant acceleration, not parting. Through the acquisition, Unsplash will become the Getty Images division, but Getty Images will continue to operate as an independent brand, and will maintain its direction such as free services and license forms. Michael Jo explains the reason for the acquisition as the availability of Getty Images resources to accelerate plans to create the world’s most convenient visual library.

Unsplash is a stock photo site launched in 2013 as a tumblr blog with 10 photos. This place, where you can download and use more than 2 million high-quality images taken by photographers around the world for free, has exceeded 100 million downloads and has tripled the size of Unsplash for Brands, a project that generates revenue. It has achieved rapid growth over the past eight years.

According to Michael Jong, Unsplash first contacted Getty Images in 2016. Initially, Unsplash feared that it would be able to share its operating policy with Getty Easy, a paid stock photo site, but through long consultations, Getty Images showed respect for Unsplash and reached an agreement.

Craig Peters, CEO of Getty Images, said he is pleased to welcome Unsplash as a family about the acquisition. He also added that he was impressed with the community building of Unsplash and hoped to support continued development.

Michael Jo is also proud to have created a community with Unsplash, but it’s still just the beginning. This acquisition is an important milestone in Unsplash, but the mission remains unchanged. He said he was pleased to be there.

According to the FAQ prepared by Unsplash, there will be no free license changes for Unsplash service in the future. It also maintains an Unsplash account, explaining that images posted on Unsplash cannot be the property of Unsplash or Getty Images. Related information can be found here.