Need Help Regarding GI's Final Notice; From Philippines

[yettezkiedoodle]

I searched and saw that the only post from a Filipino was last July and I thought that I'd make another one, rather than update the previous one. Further, I was also searching some identical issues, but I was not able to locate anything quite similar through the 'Search' page. (or maybe because I'm both anxious and sleepy. I'm really sorry to to all admins and members...)

Anyway, here goes ---

Just a while ago, I received an email from Getty Images (LicenseComplianceAPAC@gettyimages.com) informing me of my unauthorized use in their photos. These photos were posted November last year, so I got curious as to why they were reminding me of this just now. However, as I read further in to their letter, they were no longer asking to just take down the photos but they want me to pay PhP 224,896 ($5,134 for five images). They said that they’ve been emailing me two times now, but the thing is I haven’t received any email from them.

I used their photos with credit, I indicated their website at my post as the source of the photos I used. I’ve seen a lot of website owners do that including my friends, and I haven’t heard anyone being issued a letter threatening them to take down the photos and pay up or else. I know it didn't really sound like that, but it kinda does. I feel bullied and quite violated. I am from the Philippines and that's way too much money to ask for someone who owns a non-profit website. My website does not generate that much traffic and the only money that we get from our business income is barely sufficient for daily/weekly food and medicine. In short, I do not have that kind of money, nor do I have any access or means to that kind of money. I do not mean to be so weepy since I know that some if not most of you have undergone through the same stuff, but the thing is, given the amount that they're asking for, never mind.

I also received another letter, which is attached from the email itself dated last August 12 of this year, saying that they previously informed me regarding this issue. However, I really did not receive any emails from Getty Images, not in any way or form. Please help, I really would appreciate your response, and I know that you have a lot of letters to respond to but I am really problematic and traumatized with this one. I already ‘parked’ my website, I took down the page that is in question and I even took down the original blog where it was from which is my blogger website (http://yettezkiedoodle.blogspot.com/). I just transferred to Wordpress, and my blog posts starting from last April this year are from Wordpress, other than those, all were published in blogger.

I know that ignorance is definitely not an excuse, but I really thought that by placing their website as a form of credit, I thought that it's okay. I also read somewhere that contacting them in any way is a bad idea and paying them is also a bad idea. I really would love to hear/read your thoughts.

Thanks in advance.

[SoylentGreen]

Thank you for posting your story on the forum.

If you haven't received the emails that Getty claims that they sent, then I suspect that they may be attempting to make you panic and entice you to make a rash decision.
Getting a "final notice" the first time would rattle anyone.  In any case, check your email "spam" folder.  Threatening emails often get flagged as "spam".

The only way to "make it go away immediately" for certain is to make the best deal that you can with them and pay that.  But, there may be some good news here.

If Getty is contacting you by email, that probably means that they don't have your home address.
Be aware that email isn't a good way of notifying anyone of something.  The email address could be "dead", and nobody would ever know, or the email may now be used by somebody else.
So, if they're just emailing you, then you have "plausible denial" so long as you don't respond.
If you sign for a registered letter, a courier delivery, or accept a regular mailing without returning it within a certain time, then those would verify "delivery".

I think that the likelihood of a lawsuit in the Philippines is rather low.  The chances of collecting monies from a resident there is much lower than that of some other countries.
Getty doesn't file many lawsuits anywhere for that matter.

Naturally, it would be wrong to say "ignore it" completely.
But, you can play the waiting game for a while, and if there's no way of them contacting you "officially", then it might go away.
I hope that this eases your mind a bit.

S.G.