Getty Images

Getty Images is a stock photo agency owned by Mark Getty and Jonathan Klein. Although Microsoft used Bill Gates-owned Corbis, they also made heavy use of Getty, especially for Windows Vista. The company has also bought many smaller stock photo agencies, such as PhotoDisc, Digital Vision and Brand X Pictures, all three of which Microsoft have used images from.

In 2016 Corbis' image licensing business was sold to Unity Glory, an affliate of Getty partner Visual China Group. During this time many, although not all Corbis images, were transferred over to VCG. Getty have been given distribution rights to distribute their images in all countries outside of China. The buyout seemingly resulted in some photos that were used as Windows wallpapers no longer being available, with Purple flower from XP being a prime example.

Products featuring Getty images

 * Microsoft Plus! 98 (PhotoDisc wallpaper and screensaver images)
 * Windows 2000 and ME (wallpapers)
 * Windows XP (user account pictures)
 * Windows XP Starter Edition (wallpapers, tutorial images)
 * Microsoft Plus! for Windows XP and Windows XP Media Center Edition (wallpapers)
 * Windows Longhorn (wallpapers, user account pictures)
 * Windows Vista (wallpapers, sample pictures, user account pictures)
 * Windows 7 Beta (wallpapers)
 * Windows 7 (wallpapers, user account pictures)
 * Windows 8 (one lock screen wallpaper)