ExtortionLetterInfo Forums

ELI Forums => Getty Images Letter Forum => Topic started by: mister meister on August 20, 2013, 02:15:54 PM

Title: Image located with Image Search and filtered by "labeled for commercial re-use"
Post by: mister meister on August 20, 2013, 02:15:54 PM

So... I just became a member of this unfortunate club :( I'm very happy to see such a wonderful collection of helpful and informative individuals, despite the bad luck that brought me here!

My circumstances for admittance to this club are similar to what this user experienced (http://www.extortionletterinfo.com/forum/getty-images-letter-forum/image-used-was-from-google-images/ (http://www.extortionletterinfo.com/forum/getty-images-letter-forum/image-used-was-from-google-images/)), in that the image in question was located using Google Image Search. The letter from Getty is demanding $1,225 for the use of that one image and I'm quite upset.

You can still locate the same image via Google Image Search with the filter:
- Screenshot (https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzL9drnWd2lGN09xOGQwbHpRQVU/edit?usp=sharing (https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzL9drnWd2lGN09xOGQwbHpRQVU/edit?usp=sharing))
- Search Query (https://www.google.com/search?as_st=y&tbm=isch&hl=en&as_q=cheap&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&cr=&as_sitesearch=&safe=images&tbs=sur:fc&biw=1516&bih=762&sei=eKcTUveFCbKl4AO6x4DICQ#as_st=y&fp=6d551adc3e62aac&hl=en&q=cheap+man&tbm=isch&tbs=sur:fc&facrc=0%3Bcheap%20person&imgdii=_&imgrc=_ (https://www.google.com/search?as_st=y&tbm=isch&hl=en&as_q=cheap&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&cr=&as_sitesearch=&safe=images&tbs=sur:fc&biw=1516&bih=762&sei=eKcTUveFCbKl4AO6x4DICQ#as_st=y&fp=6d551adc3e62aac&hl=en&q=cheap+man&tbm=isch&tbs=sur:fc&facrc=0%3Bcheap%20person&imgdii=_&imgrc=_))

The main difference with my situation (other than the huge image price), however, is that I had things filtered by "labeled for commercial re-use" and the image was hosted on a site that a) didn't display any watermarks and b) included metadata distinguishing it as being up for grabs.

Because of these circumstances, is there anything I may be able to do? I've already removed all traces of the image from the site.

Title: Re: Image located with Image Search and filtered by "labeled for commercial re-use"
Post by: Robert Krausankas (BuddhaPi) on August 20, 2013, 02:49:47 PM

Just deal with it as others have...get yourself educated on copyright...google images searches are NEVER safe, if images are not "public domain" ( different from royalty free ) someone somewhere owns the copyright..regardless of a watermark or EXIF data. I fo  you collected other images from a google search, you'd be wise to remove them, and replace them with either images you create yourself, or with images that you have a license to use..