Transaction provides advertising and publishing industries with comprehensive range of digital media.

Seattle and Sydney (Friday, September 29, 2006)-- Corbis today announced plans to acquire Australian Picture Library (APL), a leading image licensing company in Australia. The full integration of Corbis and APL operations will be completed in early 2007. The addition of APL advances Corbis’ strategy of further penetrating the Australian market and building strong relationships with commercial and editorial customers.

“We have an aggressive strategy to expand market share in Australia where the industries we serve are on the cutting edge of creativity and innovation,” said Steve Davis, President and CEO of Corbis. “APL has been our sales representative for the last three years, and we experienced strong demand for the breadth and depth of Corbis images collections”.

Commenting further on the transaction, Wil Merritt, Corbis Senior Vice President Worldwide Sales explained, “With a wholly-owned presence in the country, we can sell directly to clients, and provide a full range of creative resources that include custom production and rights services. We are also committed to producing great content on a regional basis, and are pleased to have the opportunity to work with many of Australia’s most talented photographers. “

Established in 1979 APL enjoys a reputation for excellent customer service. Both companies plan to ensure a seamless integration for the website, global sales and marketing programs without any disruption to the workflow of APL customers. In addition, customers will have expanded resources for end-to-end digital media solutions including Corbis Rights and Music Clearances.

“Becoming part of the Corbis network brings our capabilities to a whole new level,” explained Chris Boydell, APL Managing Director. “With access to creative and editorial images from contemporary and archival photography to fine art, illustrations and motion footage, we see unlimited opportunity to help clients differentiate brands and sell products on any media platform. Our photographers will also benefit from Corbis’ global distribution, unparalleled copyright support, and global sales network.

ABOUT CORBIS
Corbis is a world leader in digital media. Founded in 1989 by Bill Gates, the company provides the industry’s richest array of digital image licensing, rights services, artist representation and media management, Corbis enables creative innovation for advertising, corporate marketing and publishing clients. Corbis is headquartered in Seattle, Washington with 20 offices throughout Asia, Europe and North America.