If digital images are lost through computer crash or theft, users of a pay-to-use version of Kodak?s online gallery will be sent an archive CD of the lost images, claims the firm.
Billed as the ?first of its kind? the Picture Protection Program ? launched in the United States ? is currently available to users of Kodak Gallery Premier which costs $24.99 a year.
The move comes after a Kodak survey of 1,000 consumers found that 70% ?did not have a plan in place to replace their photos in the event of a fire or natural disaster?.
Users will also receive up to $500 in the form of an annual credit towards replacement of any destroyed prints and other ?photo gifts? that were ordered through the Kodak EasyShare Gallery.
On its website Eastman Kodak states: ?In the event of a natural disaster, human error, hard drive crash or theft, Picture Protection can help you re-create the prints, photo books and anything else you?ve created with pictures you have saved in the gallery.?
An Eastman Kodak spokesman added: ?For more than 100 years, people from all over the world have trusted Kodak with their most treasured memories and we take that responsibility very seriously.?
The service applies to images that were in the gallery account at the time of the loss.
At the time of writing it was not clear whether the service will be available in the UK.
More details of the service are available at http://www.kodakgallery.com/PictureProtection?