ExtortionLetterInfo Forums
ELI Forums => Getty Images Letter Forum => Topic started by: allenrocks on February 22, 2016, 04:49:06 PM
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I used to run a pop culture blog and embedded an image of a celebrity on the site several year ago. I received an email in August 2014 from them and called them. I talked to a guy and after a long discussion he said if I took the image down it would be cool. I took the post down and didn't hear back. Then two weeks ago I started getting emails from Stacy a paralegal at Sanders Law.
I called her and told her I had talked to someone about the image and took the post down. She said it didn't matter and I needed to settle for several hundred dollars. I told her I would get back to her. She called back a few days later and I told her I didn't appreciate getting shaken down and she said I had until the next business day to let her know who my attorney was or she was going to go ahead with litigation.
I exchanged emails with my attorney the next day and he said he would get back to me after he researched it. That was a few days ago and I hadn't heard back from him yet. Today I got another email from Stacy saying that since I rejected their settlement offer of $1,300 it was now null and void. (It was only a few hundred two weeks ago when we talked initially). She then said that the complaint would be filed by the end of the week and again asked me for the info for my attorney.
Does anyone have any thoughts on this? I haven't heard back from my attorney yet and I'm not sure when I will. He's a busy guy but Sanders is being so pushy I don't know what to do. I've read that they have been filing cases recently.
They sent me a screengrab of the my site but I know the pic was embedded and not uploaded to my servers. From what I understand this is perfectly legal.
Any advice?
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They don't typically file lawsuits that quickly. It is an intimidation tactic designed to "motivate" a response.
And whether they file a lawsuit against YOU in particular depends on whether you APPEAR to be a "juicy" target.
There are a lot of factors to consider in determining whether or not you will be a legitimate lawsuit target.
And they may turn you down now, but they could also be motivated otherwise if the right message is conveyed to them. It depends on the type of lawyer you have and how strong your personality is.
If your image was "hotllinked", then they have little to claim against you but you might need to communicate it to them and then stand your ground.
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I agree with Matthew, if you hot linked the video you should be fine. Let them know it was never on your servers. They may still harass you as it is just about the money for them but if you can prove it was hot linked you should be in the clear, in my opinion.
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yes I'm a rebel!, if it were me and the image was hot linked and not residing n your servers, I would put it back, and tell them t pound salt.. If you want to send me the link to the iage in question, I'll gladly link to it n my blog, just to bust their balls...cause I'm nice like that.
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Yes, Robert does get into one of his moods where he wants to stick his middle finger up at these people! LOL.
yes I'm a rebel!, if it were me and the image was hot linked and not residing n your servers, I would put it back, and tell them t pound salt.. If you want to send me the link to the iage in question, I'll gladly link to it n my blog, just to bust their balls...cause I'm nice like that.
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My company is unfortunately the target of a BWP Media/PCN lawsuit. They're seeking $2.4M in compensation in a suit filed in the Central District of CA. We're in the adult entertainment industry so I won't post any links. But I can say that Matthew has been extremely helpful during this process and has kept me calm and focused. I don't know what I would have done without ExtortionLetterInfo as a resource.