Read this:
A Photo Editor – Getty Bullies Photographers After Buying Agency.
Now, I’m not a lawyer, but this really doesn’t seem legal, the original royalties received by the photographers were paid based on a negotiated contract and it doesn’t seem like Getty could renege on that, even if they buy the company. If you purchase a company, you also purchase all of their assets and agreements. You don’t have to renew those agreements, but you can’t retroactively change them. Pardon the language, but this is bullshit!
I’m not a Getty photographer, and I’ve never really wanted to be. Horror stories like this have existed for years and apparently it’s getting worse. We as photographers need to be loud about this type of mistreatment. Just because the better part of us aren’t much more than starving artists doesn’t mean large companies like this can push us around. If you have a blog, do a post about this, if you’re on social media say something about this…let your voice be heard!