Hardest Working Lawyers in Showbiz

Photo © Michael Ochs Archives/Corbis

The late great James Brown was not much for tidy endings. In his legendary shows, he always liked to stage a fake "collapse" toward the end, with band members dramatically reviving the Godfather of Soul for one last encore. After his death on Christmas Day in 2006, his will, possessions, and even burial place were hotly disputed by those he left behind. Now, the attorneys for Brown's estate are caught up in a posthumous battle with another entertainment giant — Corbis Corp. — over the commercial usage and "right of publicity" to photographs of Brown. (Above is one of Corbis's images of Brown, by music photographer Michael Ochs, showing dance moves to the game host of The Lloyd Thaxton show in 1964.)

Corbis Restructures, But Is There a Future for Stock Photography?

The news that Corbis Corporation is planning a major restructuring of its business has caused ample fear and loathing, and not just from the 160 employees who are losing their jobs in the move. New CEO Gary Shenk, left, and his management team have spent a couple of months trying to figure out how to get Corbis into the black. Their solution: The company will focus on its core commercial stock photography business and shut down its photo-assignment business. It will also sell off its digital asset management business.

Now both Corbis and its larger rival, Getty images, have gone through bouts of layoffs. To some extent this was inevitable. Both companies were built through acquisitions of many smaller agencies, resulting in some overstaffing.  But the new Corbis plan represents something more, and perhaps more momentous. The company is betting (pretty much everything at this point) in the future of stock. Getty has taken a different approach. With revenues from its stock business pretty much flat recently, it has been leaning harder on other divisions, including its editorial and celebrity assignment businesses.

Which approach will win out? At least one observer thinks that in the short term Corbis's refocusing may help it take market share away from Getty in the stock area. But I wonder about the long term. I can't see why pricing pressure won't keep driving stock revenues downward. Opinions?
--David Schonauer

Bill Gates Finally Comes to His Senses

It was only a matter of time before Bill Gates tired of watching Corbis struggle in the red while Getty Images soared to record revenues. Today the company announced that longtime CEO Steve Davis is stepping aside in June to make room for Gary Shenk (pictured), currently the company's president.

Davis has run the company for the past 10 years, a period in which Corbis has yet to turn a profit. Until last year, when Shenk, 36, became president, Davis held both senior titles and answered solely to Gates.

Corbis Announces 2006 Revenues of $251M

Corbis today announced that its total revenues for 2006 exceeded $251 million, up from $228 million in 2005.

The company also said it would be launching its first microstock offering during the second quarter of 2007.

Getty on the Move

The world of celebrity syndication is getting interesting. Photographers are constantly moving back and forth among the big agencies, as do reps and executives. Getty, the recent newcomer to the party with its Exclusive by Getty Images division, has just hired a lead photo editor from one of its main competitors.

Gossip Roundup

Each year upon returning from the Visa pour l'Image photojournalism festival in Perpignan, American photo editors and photographers can be heard talking about hosting their own festival on this side of the pond. This year the talk is no different, but for once this is no idle chatter.

After the jump, we'll divulge the latest on plans to produce an American photojournalism festival, we'll reveal the mystery of who took the Pitt/Jolie baby photos, and try to wrap our heads around the latest moves at Corbis.