500px brings verified accounts to its photo site, but only for brands

500px has reached a point where it needs to roll out verified accounts on its photo site. The company is starting with brands on an invite-only basis — Red Bull Media House is one of the first. With this program, 500px aims to appeal to more companies and encourage them share photos and media on its site.

With over 7 million users, 500px is looking to accelerate its evolution, and involving brands is the next logical step. But in order to do that, the company has to provide a set of tools to help those brands stand out. Verified profiles offers proof that the photos are being shared by a legit company, rather than by an impersonator.

This feature is aimed at brands that have copyrighted images and videos, and 500px will work with these companies to ensure that they are who they say they are and that they have the right legal protection.

Profiles that are verified will have a check mark next to the name, similar to what Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Flipboard, and others offer. Brands that want to be verified should contact 500px to request access.

There has been no information about when verified profiles might be available for individual accounts.