SmugMug announced that it has acquired Flickr. SmugMug believes “You are not our product. You are our priority.” Those who are current users of either SmugMug or Flickr should read SmugMug’s FAQ page.
According to its FAQ, your SmugMug and Flickr accounts will remain separate and independent for the foreseeable future. Users will continue to log in with their current credentials and have the same experience they are used to.
If things change in the future for Flickr, SmugMug says it will be as transparent as possible about the process and give users as much notice as they can about the issues that matter to you.
Users will still be able to access their Flickr or SmugMug photos, and those photos will retain the same URL. Over time, SmugMug will be migrating Flickr onto SmugMug’s technology infrastructure, and user’s Flickr photos will move as a part of that migration. However, the photos themselves will remain on Flickr.
It is important to know that Flickr users should read over SmugMug’s Terms of Service. You will have 30 days (from the date an email about SmugMug’s terms was sent) to either accept SmugMug’s Terms or to opt out. If you do nothing, your Flickr account will transition from Yahoo’s Terms to SmugMug’s Terms. If you don’t want to make that change, you can delete your Flickr account.
SmugMug says that it will continue to offer Flickr’s free accounts, stating “We are not making any changes to Flickr plans or rates at this time”. SmugMug will let Flickr Pro customers know if that changes.
Those who currently have a Flickr Pro subscription will continue to enjoy all the benefits of Pro membership. SmugMug does not offer a free account. Plans range from $3.99/month to $29.99/month.