Is the domain owner liable or the company represented on the domain?

[Mulligan]

Greg, thanks for the link to that 2009 article, which made for good reading. I admit to gagging when I read the last few sentences:

Getty's [Corporate Counsel Lisa] Willmer said it's a full-time job keeping up with copyright infringement in the age of the Internet.

"I liken it to the game Whac-A-Mole," she said.

That sentence reveals a great deal about lawyers like Lisa Willmer who profit so mightily from sending out threatening letters citing copyright statutes that are no longer fair or relevant in a digital world with an internet that contained over 40 BILLION images way back in 2008.

[Greg Troy (KeepFighting)]

Thank you Mulligan but I can't take credit for the find, Matthew originally posted this back in May and I thought the article was so interesting that I saved the link as it is an admission by Getty that they are affecting over 40,000 people a year with their demand letter program. I like to think of it in these terms, if these numbers we're talking about were cases of swine flu or something similar then it would be labeled an epidemic and vast resources would be dedicated to putting a stop to it, yet because it's a business taking advantage of the copyright law to extort money from innocent and nonwillful infringers it goes unknown and unaddressed. I can say I had never heard about any of this until I had received my letter from Getty and went online to do some research about it. My goal is to raise the awareness factor through my letter writing campaign with agencies and lawmakers who are able to put pressure on Getty and make a change should they be so motivated or as Robert likes to say going "Greg Troy"on their asses .

Greg, thanks for the link to that 2009 article, which made for good reading. I admit to gagging when I read the last few sentences:

Getty's [Corporate Counsel Lisa] Willmer said it's a full-time job keeping up with copyright infringement in the age of the Internet.

"I liken it to the game Whac-A-Mole," she said.

That sentence reveals a great deal about lawyers like Lisa Willmer who profit so mightily from sending out threatening letters citing copyright statutes that are no longer fair or relevant in a digital world with an internet that contained over 40 BILLION images way back in 2008.

[stinger]

Ellie, an important point to remember is that Getty is chasing your client/friend because they appear to be the easier mark.  You made that clear to them in your correspondence with them.  If your client/friend had done that first, I believe they would be chasing you.

This is not about the law or the principal, this is about the money.  I definitely think that taking this message to your client/friend's customer is stepping across a line.  If you decide to go Greg Troy on them (which by the way I recommend, I found the process quite cathartic), I would make sure to bring this point up in your letters.  If you decide to hire Oscar on your and your friend's behalf, I would make certain to point this fact up to him.