Readers of this Blog know that Getty Images is a competitor of our JupiterImages division. They also might remember that Getty recently ceased distribution of our Comstock and Thinkstock image brands. And, for a time, Getty insinuated on its Web site that Thinkstock images were being removed because of "quality" issues.

Now let's turn to Getty Images' marketing tactics on Google in France and the United States. Taking the low road in Internet marketing, Getty has been busy buying Google keywords for JupiterImages' trademarks such as "Thinkstock", "Comstock" and even more amazingly "AbleStock" (our Canadian brand that Getty has never distributed). Of course this is illegal and wrong. One wonders why a company of Getty Images size and stature would resort to such low level and illegal tactics?

The answer must be the following: JupiterImages is doing something right in its marketing, content and overall growth strategies. While we will take the proper legal position in all of this, I must thank the Getty marketers for validating the value of our brands which they so recently trashed and ceased distributing.