Getty and Flickr partnership took too long

Yahoo's photo-sharing subsidiary, Flickr, announced it has partnered with Getty Images to streamline the process for Getty's photo editors who want to buy images from Flickr users. For the privilege, Getty will pay Flickr a fee. It's a good idea, but one that took to long to come to fruition. Two years ago at a party in New York, Flickr cofounder Stewart Buttefield told me one way the photo-sharing site could finally make money for Yahoo:

A lot of people buy photos from Flickr users. But people have to know the person, and send them a Flickr mail and they have to negotiate a price. It's a very high-friction process. Taking the friction out of that would be one of things Flickr could do to monetize.

Two years later, the tinnovative Butterfield and his cofounder and wife, Caterina Fake, are out of the company. Maybe now Butterfield's bizarre resignation letter makes more sense? (Photo by ericskiff)