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Author Topic: What should I do? Image Rights Inter. contacted me  (Read 7857 times)

EB23

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What should I do? Image Rights Inter. contacted me
« on: July 13, 2018, 02:00:51 PM »
Image Rights International called me and told me I have a photo (image) on my website that is copyrighted from a professional photographer. My SEO guy who built my website asked for pictures for my site, I googled some pictures and gave it him - that was a year and a half ago. Now this company is asking for $2000! I freaked out, removed all my pictures I ever put on my site. I told him I don’t have that kind of money... he reduced it to $1000 in 2 installments. Do I have to pay the $1000... or no? And if not, what can this company do to me or my business legally? Thank You!

Robert Krausankas (BuddhaPi)

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Re: What should I do? Image Rights Inter. contacted me
« Reply #1 on: July 14, 2018, 11:45:45 AM »
Answers to all of your questions are freely available within the forums, start reading, get educated, go from there.
Most questions have already been addressed in the forums, get yourself educated before making decisions.

Any advice is strictly that, and anything I may state is based on my opinions, and observations.
Robert Krausankas

I have a few friends around here..

UnfairlyTargeted

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Re: What should I do? Image Rights Inter. contacted me
« Reply #2 on: July 17, 2018, 04:27:55 PM »
Is this person really a photographer or just some social media amateur looking to cash in?  If it's the latter, this person needs to be made into an example so he doesn't contact a lawyer or one of these services again!

EB23

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Re: What should I do? Image Rights Inter. contacted me
« Reply #3 on: July 17, 2018, 05:14:07 PM »
I believe a professional photographer - Alexander Wild. Any suggestions what I should do? Do I have to pay the $1000 which I was invoices into 2 $500 payments?

UnfairlyTargeted

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Re: What should I do? Image Rights Inter. contacted me
« Reply #4 on: July 17, 2018, 05:21:12 PM »
He's got a real day job and it isn't photography.  Just another parasite looking to cash in:
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/Use-a-copyrighted-photo-expect-to-get-bugged-11177569.php

Just like Tom Schwabel... BTW, Tom, was that you yesterday trying to call me out?

Matthew Chan

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Re: What should I do? Image Rights Inter. contacted me
« Reply #5 on: July 17, 2018, 10:11:44 PM »
You don't have to do anything you don't want. It is always your decision.  However, Alexander Wild does file lawsuits occasionally. I believe Wild uses Higbee to do so. I have not done a deep analysis of what cases Wild pursues and doesn't.

You can try to negotiate it down further. As a general statement not knowing your personal situation, it is worthwhile to consider settling in this particular situation because I would bet money if you don't settle now, it will be passed on to Higbee and trying to settle will be likely be harder and a higher amount.

I believe a professional photographer - Alexander Wild. Any suggestions what I should do? Do I have to pay the $1000 which I was invoices into 2 $500 payments?
I'm a non-lawyer but not legally ignorant either. Under the 1st Amendment, I have the right to post facts & opinions using rhetorical hyperbole, colloquialisms, metaphors, parody, snark, or epithets. Under Section 230 of CDA, I'm only responsible for posts I write, not what others write.

DavidVGoliath

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Re: What should I do? Image Rights Inter. contacted me
« Reply #6 on: July 18, 2018, 06:50:06 PM »
He's got a real day job and it isn't photography.  Just another parasite looking to cash in:

Jesus, someone really pissed in your cornflakes, didn't they?

Here's a thing: the article you linked to clearly cites that Wild is an expert entomologist who also takes photographs of the insects he studies, and he's licensed his works to well-known clients. That he does so alongside his "day job" doesn't make him less of a photographer, in the same way that there are many people around the world for whom photography constitutes a much-needed secondary income. I and some of my peers count ourselves as fortunate to devote all our energies to our craft; from our viewpoint, infringers are the parasites - consider the textbook definition@

An organism which lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the other's expense.

or

A person who habitually relies on or exploits others and gives nothing in return.

So: if publications like Nature and National Geographic are quite happy to pay licenses for Mr. Wild's work, why should a business like Cypress Creek Pest Control get a free ride?

 

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