Jimmie the free accounts have already been switched off (scroll down this thread, for instance) but they have delayed with the paid-for accounts - presumably fearing a big law suit? My account has to be renewed in December.
It's important not to confuse direct links to Photobucket's website, which are smothered in ads, with embedded images like in the gallery, which have remained ad-free (and it's this bandwidth burden that the company is trying to escape, apparently).
BTW I'm still trying to chase up that factoid about M&G owning the trademark 'Tell' before Oscar Will did, but can't trace it. I wouldn't have put it ih the gallery if it didn't come from an unimpeachable source though.