ExtortionLetterInfo Forums

ELI Forums => Getty Images Letter Forum => Topic started by: Pacopag on April 25, 2012, 10:16:39 PM

Title: Oscars Letter Program for Canadians?
Post by: Pacopag on April 25, 2012, 10:16:39 PM
Hi.  I got my letter today.  I've been reading the threads for hours, but there's just too much to read it all. I'm thinking that my best course of action is to enroll in Oscar's Letter Program.  I really don't feel like dealing with three years of harassment.  I was just wondering if Oscar can handle Canadian cases.

Any additional advice/emotional venting is most welcome too. I'm definitely buying Matthew and Oscar a few beers for this one.  Thanks a bunch guys.
Title: Re: Oscars Letter Program for Canadians?
Post by: Matthew Chan on April 26, 2012, 01:18:34 AM
Oscar is a U.S. lawyer from New York. He is not able to practice law outside of the U.S. Hence, he doesn't provide legal representation to anyone outside the U.S.

For 4 years, we have been open to welcoming a Canadian lawyer to perform a similar function as Oscar does in the U.S. but no one has shown any interest in defending letter recipients, only go after them.  We believe it is because most Canadian lawyers feel there is insufficient financial opportunity or care enough to do so vs. the work and study required.  Oscar and I have put in LOTS of time on the issue over the years.

Quite frankly, if we didn't have a personal and passionate interest in this subject, this website and all its free content would not even be an option to read. We believe that having "hours of content" for people to read and listen to is a good thing.

Everyone ends up paying in either time, energy, stress, or money in dealing with extortion letters. Short of paying a Canadian lawyer "full fare", unfortunately for people outside the U.S., they will have to pay with their time, energy, and stress to learn how to defend themselves.
Title: Re: Oscars Letter Program for Canadians?
Post by: Pacopag on April 26, 2012, 09:17:53 AM
That's unfortunate for me. I guess I'll have to go it alone then.

My original plan, before discovering this site, was to essentially duplicate their settlement demand letter, but change my name to theirs, and vice versa, and also change the "screenshot" to a screenshot of the GI website superimposed with an image of my hairy butt crack alongside my middle finger.  Then I was going to demand a wad of cash for the unauthorized use of my image on their website.

But now I'm thinking about modelling my approach after the advice given in this thread
http://www.extortionletterinfo.com/forum/getty-images-letter-forum/got-the-letter-a-question-and-my-plan/
Does anyone have anything to add to this thread?  Would the original poster be kind enough to give us an update on his status with GI?
Title: Re: Oscars Letter Program for Canadians?
Post by: Robert Krausankas (BuddhaPi) on April 26, 2012, 09:39:39 AM
That is a good thread to reference, although I do love the butt crack idea as well, but iu'm not so sure that would to well!  ;D It's good to keep a good attitude, while still being pissed, just rememebr whoever you decide to proceed it is best to fight this on your terms, not theirs!
Title: Re: Oscars Letter Program for Canadians?
Post by: Pacopag on April 26, 2012, 10:43:01 AM
Thank you for your replies.  I just read this thread
http://www.extortionletterinfo.com/forum/getty-images-letter-forum/canadian-letter-recipients-getting-poor-advice-from-blogger/
and now I'm worried (I know Matt, I have to calm down).  What damage may I have done if I have already contacted Dr. Fewer?  Is he in cahoots with Getty?
Title: Re: Oscars Letter Program for Canadians?
Post by: Robert Krausankas (BuddhaPi) on April 26, 2012, 10:55:19 AM
well who is Dr. Fewer??
Title: Re: Oscars Letter Program for Canadians?
Post by: Pacopag on April 26, 2012, 11:34:15 AM
"David Fewer, Counsel at the wonderful CIPPIC clinic"  at the university of Ottawa.  CIPPIC is the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interests Clinic.  I assumed him to be an ethically sound type of person, being that he is affiliated with a Canadian University.  This may sound naive, but in my experience at university, most professor are very ethical people, at least as it pertains to the integrity of their research.
Title: Re: Oscars Letter Program for Canadians?
Post by: Robert Krausankas (BuddhaPi) on April 26, 2012, 12:13:34 PM
He may very well be ethical, but I don't know how he became involved, did you contact him for advice? If so he may be just "going by the book" as what Getty is doing is legal, albeit not very ethical. My guess if you asked him for his thoughts on the matter, he's just telling it as he sees it, and he's probably not in cahoots with anyone. Bottom line is if you used an image that you did not create, legally you have infringed, as most of the users on these forums have, HOWEVER just because you may have made a mistake certainly does not entitle Getty or any of the other trolls to the amounts they seek.. We've always said here and continue to do so, that it's not what Getty does, it's how they go about it, and the extortionistic amounts they demand, when clearly most if not all of these images are worth very little to begin with...
Title: Re: Oscars Letter Program for Canadians?
Post by: Pacopag on April 26, 2012, 12:30:48 PM
I fully agree with you budd (about the "it's not what they're doing, it's how they're doing it").

I never heard back from Dr. Fewer yet anyway.

Getting ready to send my first response to GI.  Wish me luck...for what it's worth.
Title: Re: Oscars Letter Program for Canadians?
Post by: SoylentGreen on April 26, 2012, 08:31:48 PM
My "impression" is that Fewer is researching such subjects, as many professors do.
I don't believe that he's actively defending people or giving advice in a legal fashion.

Michael Geist is a crusader, and you may find his site and writings to be of interest.
http://www.michaelgeist.ca/index.php

Getting back to Getty in Canada, they've not made many inroads as far as enforcing settlements in "a serious legal way".

I like the buttcrack idea as well...
http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/8128/tumblrlijmstglc91qar46i.jpg

S.G.

Title: Re: Oscars Letter Program for Canadians?
Post by: Pacopag on April 26, 2012, 09:44:11 PM
I think you're right SG.  It's been almost two days and I haven't received a response from Fewer.  I'm guessing it's as you said, that he doesn't give advice, which is precisely what I asked him for.

As a man of science myself, I'm a strong supporter of all ethical research.  I would be inclined to use my experience to help Fewer if it would be of any use to him (i.e. if he is indeed "researching" the subject).  Or do you suggest I just avoid him?  The reason I ask is that Matthew Chan doesn't seem to have a positive view on the site that supports the idea of contacting Fewer, yet it seems he would be interested in the outcome of any such interactions.
http://www.extortionletterinfo.com/forum/getty-images-letter-forum/canadian-letter-recipients-getting-poor-advice-from-blogger/
Title: CSL for Canadians
Post by: Matthew Chan on April 26, 2012, 11:01:29 PM
I thought I was fairly clear in my original post about Howard Knopf and his so-called recommendations for Canadian letter recipients. Allow me to be more explicit.

First, I have come to the conclusion Howard Knopf is a CSL (chicken-shit lawyer) that is afraid to give an opinion and barely lifted a finger to do anything in the years he has been "involved". His data-gathering post was there when I got my first extortion letter 4 years ago and it is still there today with newbies posting their stories aimlessly.

For an IP attorney supposedly knowledgeable in copyright matters, he is strangely silent and yet people stupidly keep posting on his one lone thread that he answers maybe once a freaking year, if that. And he deletes mine and Oscar's posts for "daring" to be helpful.

And the only "actionable" advice Howard Knopf has is to ask Dr. David Fewer who appears to be a legal egghead interested in watching and studying people twist in the wind vs. writing an article or some position paper or something for people. How USELESS is that advice? You have better results farting upwind for one nugget of helpful insight or advice.

Their position is what Getty is doing is technically legal.  Well NFS, it's legal what the stock photo companies are doing. But is it so tough on their "reputations" to actually state an opinion or helpful piece of insight?  It is only if you are a CSL.

Clearly, this topic about the Canadian situation ruffles my feathers because their having a so-called brain means nothing when they have a malnourished, undeveloped spine to support their brain.  They are too worried about ramifications about voicing one independent thought about the matter. Hence, I have no problems saying they are spineless cowards.

I normally would not normally be so outwardly disparaging or insulting to anyone who has not directly attacked me. But what I have seen from them the last 4 years is truly apathetic and pathetic on so many levels. This is why ELI has rolled over them in terms of actually helping thousands of people worldwide. We actually take a stand, we educate people, and we give out practical advice. I didn't have to be some legal egghead or some bar-licensed lawyer to learn how to do so. You just have to stop being a chicken-shit once in your life.

They still think this is a big legal exercise to study. Whereas, ELI is out here fighting in public taking on lawyers and corporate drones from Getty, Masterfile, and the like.  From Day One when I wrote my rebuttal letters, I knew this was more than about "protecting" against copyright infringements.  It is a sleazy, money-grabbing operation that uses nasty and dishonest tactics. It has to be stopped and people need to be made aware of their sleazy operation.

As far as I can tell, Howard Knopf and Dr. Fewer are chicken-shit spectators watching Canadian letter recipients twist in the wind.  I don't care how smart they might be.  It they can't use their brain to help others besides collect data, I want no part of them.

I would simply say that even as a Canadian, you are better served to follow the advice we give to Americans vs. dealing with CSLs.

I hope this post clarifies my position about the Canadian team of Knopf and Fewer.

I think you're right SG.  It's been almost two days and I haven't received a response from Fewer.  I'm guessing it's as you said, that he doesn't give advice, which is precisely what I asked him for.

As a man of science myself, I'm a strong supporter of all ethical research.  I would be inclined to use my experience to help Fewer if it would be of any use to him (i.e. if he is indeed "researching" the subject).  Or do you suggest I just avoid him?  The reason I ask is that Matthew Chan doesn't seem to have a positive view on the site that supports the idea of contacting Fewer, yet it seems he would be interested in the outcome of any such interactions.
http://www.extortionletterinfo.com/forum/getty-images-letter-forum/canadian-letter-recipients-getting-poor-advice-from-blogger/
Title: Re: Oscars Letter Program for Canadians?
Post by: Pacopag on April 27, 2012, 08:28:01 AM
Hi Matthew.  Thank you.  Crystal clear.  And yes, I have found this forum infinitely more helpful than Howard's post (because, as you say, it is not really helpful at all).

This forum has given me the confidence to deal with this like a self-respecting human that will not tolerate others taking advantage of them, no matter how "powerful" they may seem.  I can't thank you enough.