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Author Topic: I'm done worrying about it.  (Read 20773 times)

mikejl46

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I'm done worrying about it.
« on: August 22, 2012, 06:41:46 PM »
I have read through this website quite a bit and I now have no worries about Getty. Especially if you only had one image.

So what is the point in writing letters and communicating back and forth with Getty, When so far, we can see it does no good. Why even waste your time worrying about it when so far Getty has done nothing. Wouldn't the best strategy be to not worry about it at all, throw any mail from Getty in the garbage, and go on with your life like Getty never happened. That's what I plan on doing. I removed image, I didn't pay, I win.

Thanks again for the great website.  I will stop back in about three years let you know how it turns out.

Mike

Robert Krausankas (BuddhaPi)

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Re: I'm done worrying about it.
« Reply #1 on: August 22, 2012, 07:12:33 PM »
Well thats certainly an option, and it may very well be the right choice...then again, there are reasons why we suggest what we do.. Yes getty has'nt pulled the lawsuit trigger over 1 image, but it is always their option to do so. At the very least by writing to them and either making an offer, or requesting proof, you have something in paper, should it ever go to court, which is much better than standing in front of a judge saying. "no your honor, when they contacted me I did not try to resolve the issue, I just threw everything in the garbage" That would not look to good to a judge I'm afraid...whereas, IF you had to go that far and were able to state the opposite..the judge would probably look down at Getty..
Most questions have already been addressed in the forums, get yourself educated before making decisions.

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Matthew Chan

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Re: I'm done worrying about it.
« Reply #2 on: August 22, 2012, 09:03:00 PM »
Mike,

Overall, I can't say I disagree with you.  However, one little CYA letter can go a long way on the tiny chance that things go differently.

People do stress way too much over Getty Images. 4 years of reporting has shown that Getty Images is in it for the money machine aspect, not the lawsuit aspect.

You will easily get another half dozen letters from various parties with varying messages by ignoring it.
I'm a non-lawyer but not legally ignorant either. Under the 1st Amendment, I have the right to post facts & opinions using rhetorical hyperbole, colloquialisms, metaphors, parody, snark, or epithets. Under Section 230 of CDA, I'm only responsible for posts I write, not what others write.

Moe Hacken

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Re: I'm done worrying about it.
« Reply #3 on: August 23, 2012, 04:02:48 PM »
Mike, do keep us posted on the follow up by Getty and their compliance peons. The general inclination of the forum has been to respond at least once asking them to make a better case for why one should be writing them a check.

Like Robert and Matthew say, responding once with a request for real, tangible proof of their claim will show "good faith" on your part. They never answer in a satisfactory way anyway, but at that point it becomes justifiable to ignore their unreasonable demand.

I do think you're taking a very healthy approach by not worrying about it. Let them worry about it, they're the ones who huffing, puffing and bluffing.
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Oscar Michelen

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Re: I'm done worrying about it.
« Reply #4 on: August 24, 2012, 08:51:10 AM »
I agree with Matt's position and would not write more than one letter if i were you. Doesn't pay to engage them beyond the one time.

cmeskee

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Re: I'm done worrying about it.
« Reply #5 on: August 24, 2012, 05:54:21 PM »
You stole an image, got caught, removed the image and moved on?  Good job I guess.  Maybe next time you shouldn't steal the image to begin with?

I interned at Getty Images when I was in college, many years ago.  The company pays thousands of professional photographers worldwide to snap pictures, nonstop.  Out of every 100 professional-taken photos the company pays photographers to snap, only 1 makes it to their archive for resale.

When individuals like you steal their images without paying their requested royalties, you cause the price of images for all other paying customers to go up.

If you have an oz. of integrity, you'd pay them for the image you stole and then proudly display it on your Website, since you know it's a very worthy image to display.

Peeved

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Re: I'm done worrying about it.
« Reply #6 on: August 24, 2012, 06:03:20 PM »
You stole an image, got caught, removed the image and moved on?  Good job I guess.  Maybe next time you shouldn't steal the image to begin with?

I interned at Getty Images when I was in college, many years ago.  The company pays thousands of professional photographers worldwide to snap pictures, nonstop.  Out of every 100 professional-taken photos the company pays photographers to snap, only 1 makes it to their archive for resale.

When individuals like you steal their images without paying their requested royalties, you cause the price of images for all other paying customers to go up.

If you have an oz. of integrity, you'd pay them for the image you stole and then proudly display it on your Website, since you know it's a very worthy image to display.

WOW! Here we go!

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Re: I'm done worrying about it.
« Reply #7 on: August 24, 2012, 06:43:45 PM »
Peeved,

You know you have been waiting for something like this to happen!  ;)  I know Robert has been chomping at the bit for something. Wait long enough and you shall receive!

WOW! Here we go!
I'm a non-lawyer but not legally ignorant either. Under the 1st Amendment, I have the right to post facts & opinions using rhetorical hyperbole, colloquialisms, metaphors, parody, snark, or epithets. Under Section 230 of CDA, I'm only responsible for posts I write, not what others write.

Matthew Chan

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Re: I'm done worrying about it.
« Reply #8 on: August 24, 2012, 06:50:16 PM »
I believe you have achieved a stunning victory with your insightful points.

At the end of this month, ELI will begin wrapping our affairs up nice and neatly and concede defeat.

We will then fold up our tents, go home, and ELI will cease operations of helping defend and educated against the copyright extortionists and their extortion letters.

Well done.

You stole an image, got caught, removed the image and moved on?  Good job I guess.  Maybe next time you shouldn't steal the image to begin with?

I interned at Getty Images when I was in college, many years ago.  The company pays thousands of professional photographers worldwide to snap pictures, nonstop.  Out of every 100 professional-taken photos the company pays photographers to snap, only 1 makes it to their archive for resale.

When individuals like you steal their images without paying their requested royalties, you cause the price of images for all other paying customers to go up.

If you have an oz. of integrity, you'd pay them for the image you stole and then proudly display it on your Website, since you know it's a very worthy image to display.
I'm a non-lawyer but not legally ignorant either. Under the 1st Amendment, I have the right to post facts & opinions using rhetorical hyperbole, colloquialisms, metaphors, parody, snark, or epithets. Under Section 230 of CDA, I'm only responsible for posts I write, not what others write.

Robert Krausankas (BuddhaPi)

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Re: I'm done worrying about it.
« Reply #9 on: August 24, 2012, 07:08:06 PM »
ha!!! an ex getty "intern" who obviously doesn't get it! I generally refrain from being upfront and honest with most new users, but you my friend are an asshat!

Do you have any proof the OP "stole" this image? (I think not)
Do you have any proof that this image even belongs to Getty? (I think not)
Do you have any idea how the actual "legal system" works? (I think not)

You my friend have absolutely no right to determine who here has integrity, as a matter of fact you'd be better served to keep your pie hole shut, until you see and understand what ELI is about. Every single one of us are content creators of some sort, and every single one of us respects copyright. What we don't respect are companies like Getty images that try to twist the law, and use fear as a means of making money.. As far as I'm concerned you automatically fall into this category, just because of your own ignorance.


You stole an image, got caught, removed the image and moved on?  Good job I guess.  Maybe next time you shouldn't steal the image to begin with?

I interned at Getty Images when I was in college, many years ago.  The company pays thousands of professional photographers worldwide to snap pictures, nonstop.  Out of every 100 professional-taken photos the company pays photographers to snap, only 1 makes it to their archive for resale.

When individuals like you steal their images without paying their requested royalties, you cause the price of images for all other paying customers to go up.

If you have an oz. of integrity, you'd pay them for the image you stole and then proudly display it on your Website, since you know it's a very worthy image to display.
Most questions have already been addressed in the forums, get yourself educated before making decisions.

Any advice is strictly that, and anything I may state is based on my opinions, and observations.
Robert Krausankas

I have a few friends around here..

SoylentGreen

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Re: I'm done worrying about it.
« Reply #10 on: August 24, 2012, 07:22:08 PM »
Personally, I want to hear more from the former Getty intern.
If somebody from Getty can educate me about Getty's business model, and how Getty employs copyright laws, I would be quite grateful.

I'm also curious as to what industry the former intern works in now?
Does he/she feel that the Getty experience enriched his/her career standing?

S.G.


mikejl46

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Re: I'm done worrying about it.
« Reply #11 on: August 24, 2012, 10:22:44 PM »
You stole an image, got caught, removed the image and moved on?  Good job I guess.  Maybe next time you shouldn't steal the image to begin with?

I interned at Getty Images when I was in college, many years ago.  The company pays thousands of professional photographers worldwide to snap pictures, nonstop.  Out of every 100 professional-taken photos the company pays photographers to snap, only 1 makes it to their archive for resale.

When individuals like you steal their images without paying their requested royalties, you cause the price of images for all other paying customers to go up.

If you have an oz. of integrity, you'd pay them for the image you stole and then proudly display it on your Website, since you know it's a very worthy image to display.

I did pay for a template with an image Getty claims is theirs. They haven't proven to me they own it, but they send me a nasty extortion letter. Thanks Getty

Who in their right mind would steal a $875 image of some clouds, when you could purchase similar cloud images for $2, or take your own. There is nothing special about those clouds. They are every where.

If it is proven that the image is Gettys, then I may have unknowingly purchased a product from a template company that may have possibly contained one of Gettys image. I'm not a thief.

Getty lost a customer. I will not be purchasing any images from Getty in the future.


Again, I'm not a thief.

mikejl46

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Re: I'm done worrying about it.
« Reply #12 on: August 25, 2012, 07:21:22 AM »
One more thing. I purchased this template about 4 years ago. I did a search for this template image, without the aide of some hotshot super image searching ap, and was able to find out that this exact same web template as of right now,  is still available, and now being offered as a free download in a few places. If it is their image as they claim, why do they continue to allow this image to survive at the source, where  many more  innocent people will fall into Getty's trap?

Moe Hacken

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Re: I'm done worrying about it.
« Reply #13 on: August 25, 2012, 12:50:39 PM »
Mike, that's a very good point which also applies to some of the more notorious trolls: They apparently have websites "seeding" their copyrighted content. How can Getty send hundreds of extortion letters a month and not catch even one of the seeders?

Same goes for Hawaiian Art Network and Vincent K Tylor. They claims they've send hundreds of cease and desist letters. Google doesn't show even one single DMCA removal request from either of them. There are literally HUNDREDS of sites seeding VKT images. Shouldn't they be interested in having those removed from Google results? Many of them are hosted in the US or have their domain registered in the US and can be taken down with one simple email to the ISP, domain registry or search engine(s) of one's choice.

Mike, why don't you post the website that's seeding the images for Getty? Let's see how long PicScout takes to find them once we actually provide them with a URL. My bet is NEVER.
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Greg Troy (KeepFighting)

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Re: I'm done worrying about it.
« Reply #14 on: August 25, 2012, 02:26:52 PM »
I agree that Getty has to be aware of many sites offering their images as free or public downloads. As in my case to show that it was innocent and nonwillful infringement I provided screen captures to where I obtained the image in question. It has been five months now and the image is still there available for download labeled as belonging to the website owner offered in a free public directory. I think of Getty were truly interested in protecting the intellectual property rights of their artists as they claim and not using this as a business model they would have sent one of their letters along with the cease-and-desist having the picture removed but since the site obviously can generate income for Getty from unsuspecting people downloading the image Getty turns a blind eye to it and leaves the image there.

I personally feel Getty is on the same par with Hawaiian Art Network and the VKT as far as knowing of sites containing their supposedly images and doing nothing about them allowing the spread of them so more extortion settlement letters may be sent out.
Every situation is unique, any advice or opinions I offer are given for your consideration only. You must decide what is best for you and your particular situation. I am not a lawyer and do not offer legal advice.

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