Photobucket charges sudden fee to embed photos.

Out of the blue, image hosting site Photobucket updated it's terms. Included in this is that you have to pay from $60 annually to $399 annually (They have a 50, 100, and over 500 plan) to use photos uploaded there on third party sites, including everything from Amazon to even this website. This very drastic change was made without warning to anyone by any means or any sort of explanation and any attempt to contact them seems to just produce an automated message.

Some have even gone as far to say as Photobucket is holding their photos ransom.

If you want to see a crippled website, check here

So what do others think of this move. Do you think this should be legally acceptable? Is it Ethically acceptable? Or maybe you agree with others that it's a form of ransom?


(If only everyone used Imgur and discord like me : D )

I only use Imgur and Discord just like you. :)
Anyway, I've seen this kind of warnings even here on Pok?Community in some posts and signatures, so finally I understood what is actually going on. {XD} They have all the right to do this even though I don't know why I should subscribe if I could host images for free on imgur (or on my own server), I just think this is not fair for the fact that they have given no warning to the end users so they could maybe migrate their images onto another host.

Oh shoot, my sig originated from photobucket. Does this mean I have to change sigs?

Now days, I just use imgur whenever I feel like adding pictures or store images and show them. That is stupidly and downright outrageous to put a fee for just showing images via embed codes and I could see people will be more favorable to use imgur or other image hosting that doesn't charge such trash, it's just a lame tactic to get money unethically without selling Pro accounts.

Pinkie-Dawn said:

Oh shoot, my sig originated from photobucket. Does this mean I have to change sigs?

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I mean you might be adding to their third-party count which might be a jerk move depending on what (if any) plan they have, but I suppose it's up to you at the end of the day. I suppose that does raise the question of how this system would combat other people using someone elses image and the "owner" thus not being able to.

Incineroar said:

To change the TOS so suddenly though is not fair to their current memberbase. I think they'll be hearing a lot from their users regarding this shortly, and I won't be surprised if they have to backtrack a little on these decisions.

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Even if they do backpeddle, I don't think they would be able to win back community favor. Something this sudden shows to me a prioritization of money over consumers. Capitalism strikes again!

I'm sure a lot more people will be using imgur now though lol. Maybe in a few months Photobucket wont even be a thing anymore!!!

It's good then that I haven't used Photobucket in quite a while.

Don't really get why anyone would pay money for image hosting when imgur exists.

Pinkie-Dawn said:

Oh shoot, my sig originated from photobucket. Does this mean I have to change sigs?

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Could always just copy the link of the gif in your sig, upload it to some other site, and then use that link instead.

There is a reason why I use pics from sites like Imgur, because they are free and for fair use. Photobucket has been nothing but going downhill, and this latest controversy could be its final nail in the coffin if it's serving as an incentive for people wanting to use Imgur instead.

Looks like I'll be fully moving to storing my old avatars in my Dropbox. That's something that I've should have done ages ago. I really don't see this being a good thing for them. It's unfair to those who've used it for years prior. I think this pushes Imgur much further ahead of them.

Oh hey, well that's a change I didn't see coming. Wow. Rather shocking, actually.

sounds like the death knells have been getting considerably louder for them, huh

Photobucket is still relevant? I've been an imgur user for going on seven years now, and I haven't looked back since.

Rip the icon communities that have used photobucket. Which is a damn shame. I've moved on but i used photobucket for my own icons like. Years back before the days of imgur. But hey if this is how they want to fo out well they're doing a good job.

The site remained unchanged for YEARS. This is so bizarre. The most I used it was 12-13 years ago but every so often I go on there to browse my collection of Classic Internet Memes, screenshots from ages past, and forum sigs/sprites and other stuff that I used to make. Their prices are ridiculous, and charging a fee makes zero sense especially when sites like imgur exist....

well dang. that's a shame. i used photobucket constantly back 7 years ago or so before i knew of imgur. it kinda went downhill though since i checked it a few years ago though. welp. i wonder if my account is still up? hmm.

this doesn't affect me too much though since i'm an imgur user myself. not an avid user, but i do upload images that i resize there.

RIP Photobucket, time for u to hit the bucket, you will not be missed.

srsly, it's just like paying a fortune for oxygen, when you can literally get it for free

Incineroar said:

Wow I actually forgot that still exists.

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So did I!

I abandoned photobucket years ago because it was being dumb, but this is a whole other level.

I don't remember when I abandoned photobucket and started using imgur instead, but now it seems that was a good move haha.

photobucket is like the less crappy version of tinypic - both of which are irrelevant since imgur became popular.

Mezzo said:

I'll have to find a different site now because I hate Imgur with a burning passion.

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just out of curiosity: why?