Stock Food America

[cat]

We have received a letter from Stock Food America claiming that we stole an image..which I swear we did not. I did not see their name on the list of other scam companies..has anyone dealt with them. We removed alleged image &  They are seeking $1000 or will take us to court.  

[Robert Krausankas (BuddhaPi)]

was the letter from IMUA legal Advisors? There is a thread relating to this...

http://www.extortionletterinfo.com/forum/index.php/topic,2055.0.html

Have you researched the image in question, how did it get on your site, did you purchase a license to use the image? is it your own photograph taken by yourself? Did you web person obtain the image?? if so how and where? Time to do some homework! Read the forums, get educated, track down the origin of the image, see if it is available thru multiple sites, ect...

[Oscar Michelen]

IMUA (John Grant) has a number of small companies that he represents on this issue. I have not heard of this one before/ Send us the letter so we can put it up on the site (we will redact all your info of course)

[Steve]

I created a website for a small restaurant years ago.  There's a picture of mozzarella sticks that Stock Food claims is theirs to license.   The picture is on a ton of websites including allrecipes, facebook pages, and some big restaurants. 

You can search images using a Google search at http://www.google.com/imghp.

My client got the letter from Stock Food from a Deborah Free who sent an invoice for $1000 plus has called him five or six times.  I just found out about this situation this past Saturday.  I replaced the picture as it is never my intent to put copyrighted pictures on any site.  I don't agree outright they have any claim to the picture but that kind of picture is easy to get.  So, with $2 and about 30 minutes, I replaced the picture.  I will be donating to this site and sending a letter to Stock Food informing them that while I don't know if their claim is true, I took the pic down anyway.

Steve

[Matthew Chan]

If you could fax a copy of that letter to 888-696-3441, that would be helpful to anyone else who might get the letter.  Or you could email it to us.  We would obviously redact it.

Matthew

[Steve]

Mr. Chan,

Thank you very much for responding.  The letter was sent to my client.  I will retrieve it from him tonight, scan it, and send it over to you.  I appreciate you taking the time to look it over. 

This has really opened my eyes to the level that companies will go to make a cheap buck.  I can tell you the letter makes no attempt to prove they are licensed to sell the photo or when they acquired the rights if that is indeed true. 

Thanks Again,
Steve

[Matthew Chan]

We try to open (and responsibly) share good information that is sent to us. I look forward to it as this appears to be a new letter we have not yet seen.

Matthew

[Steve]

Mr. Chan,

I didn't get a chance to get over to him tonight.  I will definitely get it before the week's end.  I will take the liberty of erasing the personal information but leave the body of the letter intact.  You have more knowledge of what information left for public consumption may be harmful so if you feel the need to mask any other info, I would appreciate it.

Thank You,
Steve

[Matthew Chan]

As a matter of course, we typically redact documents submitted to us.  It is what we do and how we do business.  So, no worries there.

Matthew

[Oscar Michelen]

We have always protected the end user and redacted all of their information and Matt is very cautious in that regard.

[Steve]

Mr. Chan,

I don't have your email address.  I have forwarded the extortion letter to Mr. Michelen's gmail address. 

Thank You,
Steve

[Matthew Chan]

My primary email address is: [email protected]. Thanks.

[Steve]

Mr. Chan,

I sent the letter to you this morning.

Thank You,
Steve

[Matthew Chan]

Thanks for sharing.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/73121453/Stock-Food-Settlement-Demand-Letter

This appears to be in the early stages as it has not yet reached a lawyer. My general advice would be to follow similar advice already given out regarding Getty Images Letters throughout these forums as there appears to be no record of them filing a lawsuit on anyone yet.

[Matthew Chan]

It appears we have yet another lawyer who should know better than to file a bogus DMCA complaint preventing us to show the IMUA Legal Advisors Settlement Demand Letter. I plan of filing a counter-notification letter very soon.

=============

Attention DMCA Agent:

(1) I represent Imua Legal Advisors, the original author of the material
posted at
http://www.scribd.com/doc/74361657/IMUA-Legal-Advisors-Settlement-Demand-Letter-for-Alaska-Stock-Images
.

(2) The material at
http://www.scribd.com/doc/74361657/IMUA-Legal-Advisors-Settlement-Demand-Letter-for-Alaska-Stock-Imageshas
been published without the permission of the copyright holder.

(3) I have a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner
complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the
law.

(4) I may be contacted at the address below.

(5) I hereby state that the information in this notification is accurate,
and under penalty of perjury, that I am authorized to act on behalf of the
owner of an exclusive right that has been infringed.

/s/ John E. Grant, III

--
John E. Grant, III
Attorney

Meltzer Grant LLC
107 SE Washington St., Suite 410
Portland, OR 97214

OR Phone: (503) 345-6912
WA Phone: (206) 903-8182
Fax: (206) 903-8183
[email protected]