Category: PACA
The Picture Archive Council of America (PACA) is considered one of the largest trade organization representing stock archives, picture libraries, and content licensing companies from individual artists to large corporations in The United States and North America. Founded in 1951, its membership includes over 100 member companies and more than 50 international members. PACA provides its members with many important industry resources including its Annual International Conference. This noteworthy industry event provides opportunities to discuss important issues, participate in seminars, and make connections with potential trade partners and vendors from around the country and the world.
Key executives:
Maria Kessler - President (Jupiterimages)
Christina Vaughan - Vice President (ImageSource)
Nancy Carrizales - Secretary (Animals Animals/Earth Scenes)
Dave Herbig - Treasurer (Danita Delimont Stock Photography)
Nancy Wolff, Esq. - PACA Counsel (Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLC)
Cathy Aron - Executive Director
News
ASPP and PACA launch “REINVENTION WEEKEND” conference for photography professionals
The American Society of Picture Professionals (ASPP) has teamed up with the the Picture Archive Council of America (PACA) to produce a “Reinvention Weekend” conference in Boston on April 15th – 18th. The focus of the conference is to aid attendees in Reinventing, Reimagining and Reinvigorating your career or your approach to the photography business. The conference is being structured to foster spirited dialogues with photo contemporaries including: stock agents, researchers, editors, publishers, art buyers, photographers and consultants.
News
PACA back in NYC for 13th annual international conference in October
The Picture Archive Council of America (PACA), a trade organization for stock licensing companies, has announced that it will be hosting its popular annual international conference in New York City’s world-famous Financial District from October 24 - 26, 2008. The timing of the event has been coordinated in order to coincide with the photo industry’s biggest events including PhotoPlus (October 23-25) and Picturehouse (October 29) bringing photographers, stock agency personell, and photo buyers, to NYC from all over the world for an action packed week of networking and industry activity.
News
PACA Orphan Search matches lost image to its creator in less than 60 minutes
In response to concerns about Orphan Works legislation and what qualifies as a “reasonable search” effort to identify the copyright owner for a particular work, the Picture Archive Council of America (PACA) has launched surprisingly low-tech solution to assist buyers in finding the creator of an orphaned image. All the buyer has to do is email the image to and a PACA staff member forwards the image to its entire list of members and affiliated associations. In a recent test this solution was able to locate the rightful owner of an image in less than 60 minutes.
News
Photo News Round-Up
• Photographers deserve more credit, says reader of UK paper. Click here to read an excellent letter to the editor brought to our attention by Linda Royles, Executive Director of the British Association of Picture Libraries and Archives (BAPLA.)
• Moving Up: Maria Kessler has taken the helm as President of the Picture Archive Council of America (PACA.) Christina Vaughan will serve as Vice President. Click here for more info.
EditorialsFeatures
Editorial: photolibrary deserves better

In a complete and concisely worded release, photolibrary answered its critics over its handling of back commissions owed to Index Stock photographers for periods previous to photolibrary’s acquisition of Index in October of 2006. To this writer, the explanations given by Tim Moore, photolibrary’s CEO, demonstrate the company has acted in good faith and continues to do so. Those still inclined to suspect photolibrary of being less than forthright with the Index contributors would do well to consider the following:
News
photolibrary awaits PACA’s assessment of the facts in commissions snafu

The Sydney-based photolibrary finds itself in an uncomfortable position over a November 11 email to Index Stock photographers from photolibrary’s then recently hired controller, Carlos Santos. In the email, Santos contradicts earlier claims by the company that it had paid all outstanding commissions to contributors of Index Stock, which photolibrary acquired in October 2006. In fact, Santos wrote, the company still owes $2.2MM to photographers. Santos has since lost his job, the Stock Artists Alliance is crying fowl, and the Ethics and Grievance Committee of the Picture Archive Council of America (PACA) has agreed to review the case.
News
Obituary: Jane Kinne, friend
The photography community mourns the loss of Jane Kinne, who passed away early Saturday morning. Mrs. Kinne spent over fifty years as a photo agent, consultant to photographers and agencies, and an expert on copyright and other legal issues concerning images and image reproduction. Along the way, she brought her boundless and positive energy to bear on the creation and management of several photo industry trade associations. Most importantly, as a good friend and mentor, she gently but firmly coaxed from those of us lucky enough to know and work with her, an eagerness to bring our own positive energy to the business at hand.
News
PACA releases free PowerPoint on copyright education
The Picture Archive Council of America (PACA) has placed on its web-site, a valuable resource to any creator or user of photography – a PowerPoint presentation that provides a thorough review of copyright law in the United States and how it applies to the use of imagery in advertising, the news media and fine art. The presentation includes real-world cases with images and detailed explanations of how the parties viewed the claimed infringements and how the courts assessed them.
News
PACA goes to Vegas
The Picture Archive Council of America’s 2007 International Conference will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada, this year from Sunday evening, October 28th to Tuesday evening, October 30th. Keynote speaker, Michael Rogers will kick off the event with a presentation titled “How Media and Technology Affect Our Culture and Specifically Our Industry.” One of the nation's leading experts on the impact of technology on business and society, Rogers is Futurist-in-Residence for The New York Times Company, as well an interactive media pioneer, novelist and journalist. He also writes the popular "Practical Futurist" column for MSNBC.
News
Roger Ressmeyer resigns as PACA President
The Executive committee for the Picture Archive Council of America (PACA) has announced that it has reluctantly accepted the resignation of Roger Ressmeyer as President of the organization. Ressmeyer cited personal reasons for the resignation, which include a personal family matter and the demands placed upon him by his Business, preventing him from fulfilling his duties as President. PACA’s Nominations and Elections Committee presented a replacement slate of officers that was unanimously approved. The former VP, Patrick Donehue [Corbis] will serve as the President of the organization, Maria Kessler [Jupiterimages] will accept the role of Vice President, and Benjamin Winters [UpperCut Images] will serve as Secretary.
News
PACA sets program for Annual Meeting in Washington DC area
The trade organization for the stock image industry in North America, the Picture Archive Council of America (PACA,) has announced a program of wide-ranging topics for its 2007 Annual Meeting. This year, the Meeting will take place just a few miles from our nation’s capital, at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center in Alexandria, Virginia. The Meeting will open with a welcoming cocktail reception on Friday evening, May 4th and end with a dinner cruise on the Potomac on Sunday night, May 6th. Reflecting the growing complexity of the business of stock photography, the Program covers a wide variety of subjects of interest to all parties to the industry.
News
October meeting of photo industry associations considered a success
Last month we reported about the planned meeting of representatives from eighteen photo industry trade associations to address issues of common interest and set plans for collective action on such issues as licensing and technical standards and so-called “orphan works” legislation in the US. The meeting took place as scheduled in New York City on October 31 and was deemed a huge success by all who attended. The leadership of ASPP and PACA initiated this historic meeting, which was hosted by the Society of Illustrators.
Editorials
Musings from PACA’s 2006 International Conference in Key West
The sun was shining in an azure sky, from which pelicans dived into a tranquil sea in search of fish. Palm trees waved in a light breeze, their leafy fronds giving shade to a buzz of activity that was somewhat at odds with the relaxed feeling of the environment at the Casa Marina resort. Yet surely this is the hallmark of a successful congress; a great location where doing business is a pleasure and plenty of opportunity to do such.
News
Photo industry associations to collaborate
The Picture Archive Council of America (PACA) and the American Society of Photography Professionals (ASPP) will bring together an international group of leading trade associations and organizations representing various participants in the stock photo industry, from individual photographers to stock photo companies, to meet in New York City on October 31, 2006, to discuss topics of common interest and establish plans for collective action. This marks the first time such an extensive list of photo business-related trade organizations (see below) have met to coordinate their efforts on behalf of their respective memberships.
News
PACA releases metadata standards
The President of the Picture Archive Council of America (PACA), Roger Ressmeyer, has published a letter to its membership concerning Metadata Standards. The new metadata standards, if they are widely accepted, would aid anyone involved in stock image licensing (Stock Photography Agencies, Photographers, Art Buyers, Etc...), to manage their image licensing activities more efficiently. In addition PACA hopes the new standards would prove beneficial for those who wish to submit their work to any of the anticipated global image registries intended to protect the copyright owner in the event that Orphan Works legislation is enacted. Ressmeyer’s letter, in its entirety, follows:
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