In 1992 West Stock, a small stock agency in WA State, teamed up with a software company to make the first clip art (now called royalty free) CD disk. As executive director of ASMP, I wrote an article challenging what they were saying, that is, that RF was aimed at an audience that could not afford traditional stock so it would not cut into sales, but it would open a whole new market.  My rebuttal claimed that competitive pressures would force the quality of clip art photos to get bigger and better. Eventually, I wrote, that clip art (RF) and traditional stock (RM) would be indistinguishable from a content point of view and that clip art files would eventually grow in size to allow use in at least 75% of uses.  Since 75% of all published photos are 1/4 page or less then and now, it was a very safe projection.

Now, 14 years later, we all know that RF has hurt RM.  And now Micro is justified by the same rationale. Once Micro catches on (maybe 5 to 7 years from now) watch RF die.  Of course RM will still be around for those who need some level of exclusive rights. Over the next fifteen years, I think we are headed into a era when limited, non-exclusive publication rights will be selling for single digit dollars and limited exclusive rights will be selling for double digit dollars. I'll be approaching 80 by then, and all I'll care about is the early bird special at the local eatery.