Welcome to Mcfilms (Jerry Witt) to the ELI Defense Team!

[Matthew Chan]

I am happy to announce that Jerry Witt (aka mcfilms on our forums) has agreed to join the ELI Defense Team!

Jerry has been one of the few letter recipients who has successfully fought back his Getty Images demand letter.  Jerry has also provided interesting and informative insights of the entire extortion letter phenomenon during his time here.  Like the other ELI Team Members, Jerry looks to make a difference in this ongoing conflict with the stock photo companies.

In that spirit, we have invited him to become one of ELI's valued voices on these forums.

When he has the chance, I hope Jerry will take the time to tell his story and explain why he continues to be involved with ELI when his case has long since been resolved. I also invite him to share his message for other letter recipients.

Please thank him for stepping up and volunteering his name and time to the ELI community.

Matthew

[Robert Krausankas (BuddhaPi)]

Welcome aboard Jerry! As can plainly be seen, the more of us that come out publicly the stronger and more legitimate we get. Lets not forget to give kudos to our other community members as well for doing their share to help educate us and the general public...

[SoylentGreen]

Big congrats to McFilms... a long time contributor here of intelligent info/commentary.
Thanks for your continued contributions!!

S.G.

[Mulligan]

Welcome to Jerry. I appreciate the posts you've made on the forum.

[Jerry Witt (mcfilms)]

Wow. Thank you one and all. I'm glad people find whatever information and opinions I dredge up useful. I don't think I'll ever be as prolific a poster as SG, Oscar,  Bubbhappi or Matt. But my goal is to supply some resources in a couple areas.  I'd like to show how we can stop doing business with the parties that would sue (or threaten to sue) their customers and potential customers. Second I'd like to help make it easier for people to get the word out about the shenanigans certain members of the stock industry are pulling.

My Getty Demand Letter case has been cleared. I even have an email from McCormick stating that Getty no longer will be pursuing that particular claim.

If your not familiar with my situation you can read the details at:
http://www.extortionletterinfo.com/forum/index.php/topic,2077.msg2868.html#msg2868

So why do I still participate in this forum? I guess it comes down to several reasons:
• When I perceive I've been treated unfairly I take it very personally and come out swinging, sometimes even if it is to my own detriment.
• I have heard a few positively horrifying stories of small businesses simply closing up shop in the face of these demand letters. Somewhere on this forum is the story of a non-profit that was helping the homeless. But in the face of a demand letter that was for almost more than the funds they had raised, they simply closed up the non-profit.
• If I'm being honest, the little intrigues and and skulduggery amuse me. I'm always curious when the next attorney with a failed singing career will get hustled into playing collection agent for a stock photo company that might or might not have a clear chain of copyright they claim to "exclusively" represent. It makes me smirk when said tough-talking bill collector gets his or her underwear in a bunch when this site shines a light on their activities.
• And really, I enjoy helping people. If I can convince someone not to be a sap and blindly cut a check, I get the satisfaction of saving them some money and choking off some of the funds that would go into the copyright troll's pockets.

For me, the ELI web site will be considered a success when the major players in the stock photo world agree to issue a takedown notice first. If that notice is ignored then I agree that the owners of the copyright should be able to pursue damages. I don't know if this change will happen within the industry itself as companies determine this is in their own best interest. Alternatively it might take work to make legislative change that will clarify this issue. So If I'm waiting for that,  it looks like I might be around for a while.

I just really appreciate the information I got from this site the first month after I got my Letter and had trouble sleeping and found myself grinding my teeth. The information I got  from the ELI web site helped me formulate my reply to Getty and their lawyer that got them off my back. Maybe I can help someone in a similar situation and "pay it forward."

Thanks again!

Jerry Witt (mcfilms)

[Matthew Chan]

Mcfilims (Jerry),

Thanks for such a wonderful introductory post. For the record, Jerry and I spoke at length last night and I really liked how he intelligently and with determination dealt and resolved his case. I like his mission as well as his efforts to spearhead a front that I admittedly have dismissed.

Mcfilms is the 4th "official" ELI Team member to come onboard to join the core team. I invited him because he has a similar but still somewhat different view of the extortion letter situation but he genuinely wants to make a difference.  I also like that he has a different professional background than Oscar, Robert, and me.  There is strength in a team that have different talents. The synergy of people voluntarily working together towards a common mission can be very powerful indeed.

When ELI came under direct attack by a team of opposing lawyers, the collective intelligence, resolve, and resourcefulness of the ELI community and core team was shown in a big way.

On a personal note, I like that mcfilms has a sense of humor too.  "underwear in a bunch..." LOL.  How about "panties in a wad" depending on the case we are referring to.  Sorry, I know that was a bit crude and unprofessional but I just couldn't pass it up as mcfilms brought up the undergarment metaphor.

Last thing, everyone can look forward to my video interview with mcfilms himself in the near future which he has graciously agreed to.