The sixth annual International Photo Metadata conference, titled will be held in London, on May 17, 2012 in conjunction with the annual Congress of the European picture agency association CEPIC. The focus will be on technologies to improve search results for images, and on methods and systems for identifying and finding the rightsholder of an image if the copyright notice is not available.

Finding an image online is easy, but finding the “right” image — from a site where it can be legally licensed — is another matter. Attendees will discover what options exist to increase search and retrieval success (making it easier for clients to find images); as well as ways to make search results relevant. The use of embedded metadata, keywording, and controlled vocabularies/taxononomies will be discussed; as well as ways to crowdsource these activities. The conference organizer, IPTC (a major standards body for photo metadata) will also show ways to use semantic markup for images on web pages in order to enhance search engine results.

Methods of finding image rightsholders will be investigated during breakout sessions. Vast numbers of uncredited images can be found in Internet searches; but it’s unclear on whether thy can be used. There are proposals for changes to copyright law under consideration across Europe designed to specifically address this “orphan works” issue. If you are interested in how creators and their agencies can best protect their copyright while maintaining easy access for their customers; attend the sessions on tracking rightsholders, and learn about developments in automated licencing, and recent legal and political developments which may affect how business is done now and in the future.

This one day conference offers the chance to hear experts on these topics from around the globe, and to take part in break out discussion sessions on topics vital to the future of the image creation and licensing industry. It is a must for photographers, image libraries, and all those interested in the future of the image industry. Details on the Conference (and how to register) can be found at http://www.phmdc.org If you are unable to attend, you can follow the event virtually on Twitter using the #phmdc12 hashtag.