Corbis Images Continues to Expand Globally With Innovative Online Partnerships for International Distribution; Partnership with Picture Press Marks First Step in Digital Strategy.

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 20, 1999--

Corbis Images, Corbis' image licensing division for creative professionals (www.corbisimages.com), announced today that it will offer the world's largest image collection in a digital format to international markets.

As part of Corbis' global initiative, images can now be accessed through the Internet. Congruent to this announcement, Corbis has announced its partnership with Picture Press, a leading German picture library that supplies high quality photographs of every corner of the globe.

"We believe in encouraging our clients to use digital images," said Leslie Hughes, vice president and managing director of Corbis Images. "Picture Press shares Corbis' vision of using the Internet to deliver high quality images to creative professionals. As we continue to grow in the European marketplace, we are excited to be combining Corbis' innovative Internet technologies with our partners' local expertise to bring Corbis' extensive digital image collection to even more professional clients."

Over the coming months, Corbis Images will be announcing a series of similar partnerships throughout the European marketplace. In 2000, Corbis Images will begin to lay the groundwork for similar distribution networks in Asia and South America.

As part of its European expansion, Corbis acquired Sygma, the leading news photography agency. The June acquisition boosts Corbis' archive to 65 million images with 2.1 million available online. These recent agreements in Europe have positioned Corbis Images as an influential player in the growing European market.

Corbis Images Partners with Picture Press

As a result of this partnership, Picture Press will be able to leverage Corbis Images' Internet technologies in order to license more than 2.1 million digital images to German and Austrian markets. These images will be distributed through Corbis Images' website (www.corbisimages.com). Within the past three years, Picture Press, a subsidiary of the Gruner and Jahr Publishing House, has been transformed into a photo and text agency with one of the largest revenue capacities in the German market.

"I am extremely delighted to begin this partnership with Corbis Images," remarked Peter Remmerssen, managing director of Picture Press. "With the help of Corbis, Picture Press is well positioned to offer creative professionals more images over the Internet than ever before."

Corbis Images' International Strategy

Corbis Images' goal is to pioneer a global network of digitally enabled partners making digital images available to creative professionals worldwide. These partners will work with Corbis Images to bring digital search, access and selection of the world's largest online image collection to creative professionals across market segments, including Editorial, New Media and Advertising & Graphic Design.

To head these efforts, Corbis Images has developed a European Regional Office, to be run out of Corbis' London location, which will support local client servers, provide technological assistance and marketing and legal advice. An international team has been formed to develop these partnerships, headed by Graham Cross, International Sales Manager, based in London and Stephen Hearn, International Royalty-Free Sales Manager, based in San Diego. Cross and Hearn are joined by Erica Calvert, formerly of Photodisc, as head of international business sales. Bruce Chesebrough, Director of Sales, and Fran Schreiber, Director of Marketing, will lead worldwide sales and marketing efforts.

Corbis' Images Digital Success

In 1999, Corbis Images has seen its clients' use of digital images increase dramatically. In Q2 1999, 50% of Corbis Images' clients requested digital files, twice as many as one year earlier. As Corbis Images expands further into the European market, it plans to promote digital imagery by educating its clients about the advantages of digital files. Through this digital network, Corbis hopes to bring the power and convenience of digital images to creative professionals all over the world. Corbis envisions a marketplace where images can be transported to clients in a matter of seconds, anywhere in the world.

About Corbis

Corbis (www.corbis.com), a privately owned company, is the leading provider of visual content and services to creative professionals and consumers through innovative digital technologies. The Corbis Collection -- more than 65 million images, with more than 2.1 million available online -- is the largest image collection in the world. It contains the world's most significant photography and fine art from more than 1500 creative sources, including Ansel Adams, the Bettmann Archive, UPI, the National Gallery-London, and the State Hermitage Museum, as well as leading celebrity, commercial, and news photographers. In June 1999, Corbis acquired Corbis Sygma, adding real-time news and celebrity event photography to the Corbis Collection.

Corbis Images (www.corbisimages.com) -- Corbis' image-licensing division targeting creative professionals -- is the industry's first one-stop shopping experience, providing customers with visual solutions across a wide spectrum of traditionally-licensed and royalty-free imagery. Corbis is also the industry leader in creating innovative visual products for online consumers. Personal-Use Pictures, the Corbis Photographic Print and Poster Store, Corbis E-Cards, and other innovative online consumer products all showcase the Corbis Collection, making www.corbis.com The Place for Pictures on the Internet.

Corbis is based in Seattle, with offices in New York, London, Los Angeles, Paris, and San Diego. For more information about Corbis and its products and services, call 800/260-0444, 425/641-4505, fax [phone], or visit its Web site at www.corbis.com.

About Picture Press

Picture Press was established in 1995 as a result of a consolidation between Gruner & Jahr's magazine syndication and Gruner and Jahr Fotoservice. The agency supplies Germany and Austria with photography sourced worldwide. Images are distributed in both analogue and digital format via APIS-online and through the website, http://www.picturepress.de.

Note to Editors: Corbis and Sygma are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Corbis Corporation or Sygma in the United States and/or other countries.