You’ve all heard about the scandal (more details here) that was caused when Getty Images sold pictures of Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt to People Magazine for over $4 million. Get this: Although the pictures have been posted all over the internet even before People Magazine has gone to print, the mag expects over 5 million copies to be sold this time, as opposed to the usual 3.7 million. They’ve even upped their price by 50 cents in expectation. The reasons behind this? Circulation expert Martin Walker claims, “It just creates more buzz, more noise, so people will buy the magazine.”

The article adds:

Even People’s managing editor ultimately conceded the publicity might help… even if many people have seen the grainy pictures on their web sites. It’s a sentiment shared by Prof Samir Husini, a teacher of journalism at the University of Mississippi, and known in the US as ‘Mr Magazine’. “The blogs are merely whetting the appetite of the public. They want to see the real thing. To these people it’s not real unless it is in their hands, on their laps, in their bath tubs.”

So next time the “more legit” media tries to sue the blogosphere for “stealing content” — think again. You might just be getting the publicity you need to make a fortune. Don’t complain.

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