{"id":322,"date":"2008-06-17T03:02:55","date_gmt":"2008-06-17T08:02:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/matthewchan.com\/?p=322"},"modified":"2012-05-11T07:42:20","modified_gmt":"2012-05-11T11:42:20","slug":"i-received-a-getty-images-settlement-demand-letter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/matthewchan.com\/?p=322","title":{"rendered":"I Received a Getty Images Settlement Demand Letter"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today, I received a Getty Images Settlement Demand Letter<\/strong> basically trying to extort from me a payment of $1,300 for a bird image that was used on theintrepidway.com website.\u00a0 If I pay that amount, basically they agree not to sue me or my company.\u00a0 However, suing and winning are two entirely different issues.<\/p>\n

TheIntrepidWay.com<\/a><\/strong> currently looks bare because I immediately took down all the web banner graphics to comply with the Getty Images Settlement Demand Letter.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

For most of you reading this, you will be like me earlier today.\u00a0 I had no clue what this was all about.\u00a0 It would be many hours later until I discovered this extortionistic practice by Getty Images.\u00a0 But, believe it or not, this issue is relevant to anyone who wants to put up their own website and intend to hire someone to design their graphics and images.<\/p>\n

The “short version” of all this is that “Getty Images”, a photo-licensing company, actively sends out Settlement Demand Letters<\/strong> in the U.S., U.K., and Australia to unsuspecting website owners that have intentionally or unintentionally infringed on their copyrighted images.\u00a0 ON the surface, this sound fine.<\/p>\n

In my research, so many website owners are small-business people or companies that contracted web site templates and graphics from graphic artists\/designers in India.\u00a0 Well, apparently, the folks in India have a terrible reputation of stealing U.S. images and incorporating them in their web graphics and template design.<\/p>\n

Unsuspecting U.S. website owners who want to improve the appear of their websites buy these web templates and graphics and use them on their websites.\u00a0 However, months and years later, Getty Images sends this very nasty and threatening letter out essentially holding you fully responsible even if someone else did the crime.\u00a0 I understand that employers are held responsible for many issues, however, what comes is on the verge of insanity and certainly not even close to reasonable.<\/p>\n

If you are legally uninformed, I will tell you, it is a very intimidating letter unless you think this through carefully.\u00a0 After I calmed down, I took the time to do a Google and Yahoo search on “Getty Images Settlement Demand Letter”.<\/strong> I think if you do the same, you will get a very interesting education.\u00a0 It is actually devious because Getty Images do not do anyone the courtesy of a Cease and Desist Letter<\/strong>.\u00a0 Basically, let people know that they did the wrong thing and allow them to correct the situation before you get nasty.<\/p>\n

However, in one mailing, they ask you to remove all the infringing images AND ask you to pay this extortionistic amount so they won’t sue you.\u00a0 What a great scam.\u00a0 Start sending letters to anyone who made a mistake to correct the mistake but also demand a huge cash payment while you are at it in exchange for you to NOT sue them.\u00a0 What a great way to make money.\u00a0 Why bother going to court when you can simply instill the fear of a lawsuit into people?<\/p>\n

And even if you have to go to court, there is this small matter of preparing and proving your case.\u00a0 Is Getty Images (based in Seattle) really going to hire an attorney and sue me in Columbus, Georgia over $1,300?\u00a0 Perhaps they will sue for more.\u00a0 But for what damages?\u00a0 Punitive damages?\u00a0 You want to punish someone for doing something they did not intend to do or know it was even occurring?\u00a0 Those attorney fees might get expensive trying to sue a corporation over state lines.<\/p>\n

I have been to court many times as a plaintiff.\u00a0 It is not easy to simply make stuff or puff your case up.\u00a0 The judge is usually smart enough to temper a case and not let a ruling get too ridiculous especially in a small claims case.<\/p>\n

If it sounds like I am being cavalier, I am not.\u00a0 I am treating this seriously.\u00a0 However, I am not simply going to roll over.\u00a0 I also have a few tricks up my sleeve if they truly decide to push the matter into the court system.\u00a0 I won’t get into specifics but let’s just say the word will get out very quickly and wide to people, companies, and agencies I have never communicated to before.<\/p>\n

I felt the need to post this warning message to warn others.\u00a0 There are many, many angry people who have received similar letters from Getty’s Images.\u00a0 I suspect they will want one more web source to consult and discuss this situation.<\/p>\n

=========<\/p>\n

Cold calls are NOT welcome on this matter. Please do not cold call me because I will not accept phone calls from phone numbers I don’t recognize.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Get Help with your Extortion Letter<\/strong><\/a>. If you want to learn more about my case, visit ExtortionLetterInfo.com<\/strong><\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today, I received a Getty Images Settlement Demand Letter basically trying to extort from me a payment of $1,300 for a bird image that was used on theintrepidway.com website.\u00a0 If I pay that amount, basically they agree not to sue me or my company.\u00a0 However, suing and winning are two entirely different issues. TheIntrepidWay.com currently […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27,3,34,2],"tags":[154,155,153],"class_list":["post-322","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business-affairs","category-general","category-legal-affairs","category-publishing","tag-getty-images","tag-getty-images-demand-letter","tag-getty-images-extortion-letter","has-post-title","has-post-date","has-post-category","has-post-tag","has-post-comment","has-post-author",""],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p927L-5c","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":324,"url":"https:\/\/matthewchan.com\/?p=324","url_meta":{"origin":322,"position":0},"title":"My Conversation with Chloe Surdyk at Getty Images","author":"Matthew Chan","date":"June 19, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"This was first posted on The TurnKey Publishing Blog. ======= When I first received my Getty Images Settlement Demand Letter on Monday, June 16, I took prompt measures to be proactive.\u00a0 One of those proactive steps was to face this issue head-on.\u00a0 I called the phone number 800-272-4170 twice and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Legal Affairs"","block_context":{"text":"Legal Affairs","link":"https:\/\/matthewchan.com\/?cat=34"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":704,"url":"https:\/\/matthewchan.com\/?p=704","url_meta":{"origin":322,"position":1},"title":"How to Stop Using Stock Photos & Boycott the Stock Photo Industry","author":"Matthew Chan","date":"January 20, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Because of my personal distaste and dismay of the Stock Photo industry which started with the Getty Images Extortion Demand Letter, I have taken steps to personally boycott the Stock Photo Industry and advocate not using stock photos altogether.\u00a0 The stock photo industry seems to be rapidly consolidating into two\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Business Affairs"","block_context":{"text":"Business Affairs","link":"https:\/\/matthewchan.com\/?cat=27"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":449,"url":"https:\/\/matthewchan.com\/?p=449","url_meta":{"origin":322,"position":2},"title":"I am Boycotting the Stock Photo Industry","author":"Matthew Chan","date":"April 14, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"This article first appeared on \"The TurnKey Publisher's Blog\" ========= Because of my personal distaste and dismay of the Stock Photo industry which started with the Getty Images Extortion Demand Letter, I have taken steps to personally boycott the Stock Photo Industry and advocate not using stock photos altogether. 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I just had to share it with the world. Maybe it will \"save\" someone from being scammed. Take a look at the printed check, instruction letter, and UPS envelope. The check looks convincing except for the amateur signature. The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/matthewchan.com\/?cat=3"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":614,"url":"https:\/\/matthewchan.com\/?p=614","url_meta":{"origin":322,"position":5},"title":"O2 Media President\/CEO Gerald Czarnecki Emails Letter to Me","author":"Matthew Chan","date":"October 24, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Today, O2 Media President\/CEO Gerald Czarnecki emailed me a PDF letter to voice his concerns of allegations and accusations against the company and business he works in. However, my reporting on O2 Media has been relatively light and mostly indirect. 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