Getty Images C&D Letter w/ $1000 invoices

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So I'm just curious, did you not have privacy on that domain? How did they get your address?

It doesn't matter they threaten the hosting company with legal issues and they will give up your hidden info before you can blink.

All my domains are on privacy but if I'm doing something bad they get right through it, the privacy thing is only to protect your info from the average user.

It does NOT protect you when your infringing or otherwise breaking the law.
 
Yes, the domain was private whois.

haha... I got that exact same letter a few months ago

subigo... have they sent you more letters? I've been reading they send 2 then turn you over to a harassing collection agency called NCS Recovery.
 
wow, what a scam. guarantees I'll never do business with getty. I imagine they are getting really hurt from istockphoto/shutterstock/dreamstime.
 
So I read about this for the last hour and I was amazed that these fuckers haven't been slapped with a class action suit yet.

It's basically a scare tactic to get poor idiots to pay ridiculous fees (I found so many examples of people caving and paying them that I could puke). These poor assholes send letters back and forth until they think they are getting a good deal by only paying half. The fact that I_Like_Cock's letter offers a "one time fee of 10% off" for paying right now is just icing on the bullshit cake.

I saw hundreds of examples of this happening, but not one example of it going to court. A few people were actually sent to debt collections (that's the only thing I would be worried about). However, there are options for fighting that too. You can even sue the collections office for harrasment. If they contact you by phone they have FIVE business days to send you a written collections notice or they are fucked. Search for FDCPA or FCRA for more info.

It seems like entrapment for many cases. I.e you buy a template from some dude on elance and Getty sends YOU a bill for $3000 dollars a year later.

Anyway be sure to remove any images immediately. Do a search for "getty images lawsuit" or equivalent if you want to find out more. There's a shitload of info about this out there.

I'm with subigo, tell them to go die in a car fire.
 
This is gonna sound like a totally dumb question...
Royalty-Free means the images are free to use right? I can throw it up on a blog post or something without paying?

Never got into the stock images, but now I actually care after reading this.
 
Do what these guys do

Just enter your registration using a $50/year virtual office in Singapore. When you get faxed/emailed a C&D, use the ole "please sodomize yourself with a retractable police baton." defense.
 
subigo... have they sent you more letters? I've been reading they send 2 then turn you over to a harassing collection agency called NCS Recovery.

Yeah, I did actually get another letter, but I ignored it too. I never did get anything from a collection agency though.

I don't so much care about my credit score, so the letter didn't really phase me. However, I did check my credit report a few weeks ago and there was nothing on there.
 
Yeah, I did actually get another letter, but I ignored it too. I never did get anything from a collection agency though.

I don't so much care about my credit score, so the letter didn't really phase me. However, I did check my credit report a few weeks ago and there was nothing on there.

I doubt they want to report since what they are doing is illegal.
 
I found so many examples of people caving and paying them that I could puke.

I hear ya. I read on one of the forums that it basically bankrupted a business cus they hired some guy to do their site and Getty sent them this an demanded $14K and they settled for $8K and had to close shop.

Mine was addressed to my S-Corp... not sure how that would effect my credit or shit. talking to my lawyer in the morning.

I think its only a matter of time before they start to take heat on this. Although, it seems they have sent a larger amount of these letters recently. A story just came up on Google news recently...

getty images invoice - Google News
 
The point of a C&D is that it acts like a warning shot. Saying that you have to pay a fee too is kinda outrageous. If you comply with the C&D then you're doing them a big favor too. So... why are people paying? Our of plain old fear?

Just remove the image, however old the site is, and that's all you have to worry about. Don't reply to them either, wait for them to come back to you (chances are rare). Collection agency? Bullshit. I can assure you they will not waste time and cash on chasing you down. They know they're going to get paid 100 times for every 1 person who refuses, more paid times even.

So overall I wouldn't sweat it. I've recieved enough C&D's in the last two and a half years to make a few rolls of toilet paper and only been sued once from them all. So I don't think you need to worry. Then again, I'm no lawyer, so maybe ask your attorney and see what he says if you really care that much.
 
we should rise up as one and slay them

I wanted to post a great pic I have of a guy with his knee on a rock majestically raising a sword over his head...but I'd get a bill for 15 grand in a few months.
 
[FONT=Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]One of the more picky legal arguments I've seen is that Getty Images are in the business of having robots hunting the Internet to spot pictures which they can sue you for. The name of the robot is said to be PicScout. However, to access your site, the robot must access it, which actually costs you a small amount. In theory you could legally forbid it from doing this. As the robot can't read the notice forbidding it, it would then use your bandwidth against your express permission, in which case you might have a case against Getty Images!


So ... class action by the entire internet for bandwidth theft? Anyone got an IP address or user agent?

Seriously, they've got a PR nightmare on their hands with this one. I hope they (don't) make enough for everyone to retire off this round of legal letters as their company is soon going to be a synonym for goatse on the internet.
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send it back with "wrong address" written on the letter, even if you opened it

"This person is deceased."

Then write the address of a cemetary and plot # of an old uncle. Goodluck to them getting cash outta him! (make sure he didn't die before the internets was born)
 
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