ExtortionLetterInfo Forums
Retired Forums => Legal Controversies Forum => Topic started by: W3ATB on November 04, 2016, 09:26:03 AM
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I'm a new forum member / contributor. On September 22, 2016 I received a letter from Joel Albrizio from Adlife Marketing and Communications. You can read it here:
http://media.askbuild.com/AdlifeStainSolverletter.pdf
As with probably many other of Joel's targets, I obtained my image in 2009 from iStockphoto.com and it was for free back then.
A reverse-image search using www.tineye.com shows the exact photo was still up on iStockphoto.com until 2012. I guess after that Joel took it down hoping enough people like me had sucked it down. He then let all of us bake for four years before pouncing on us.
My main pushback against Joel is that I'm stringing him along telling him he needs to *prove* he owns the copyright. I've said to him, "Before I send you any money (I have no intention of doing that - I just want to get a tingle up his leg), you need to prove to me you really own the photo. After all, you may have stolen it from someone else."
All he sent me was the official registration number from the US Copyright office. The issue with that is all you see is a list of file names for the photos as part of the group registration. He could have uploaded a photo of a kitten and given it a *food* name.
I'm a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist and fairly up to speed on libel law. I created a few keyword-rich blog posts on my www.TimCarter.com personal blog site to help expose Joel and his antics.
I also contacted the Rhode Island Attorney General on October 28, 2016 and filled out an official complaint. They reached out to me on November 2, 2016 and are *very* interested in this situation.
I urge you to contact the Attorney General of the state in which your troll lives. It's possible your troll is guilty of several felonies by using the US Mail, the Internet and phones. Just list only facts when you fill out the complaint form at the AG's website. Your complaint will carry so much more weight if you leave out all vitriol.
Good luck.