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Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Just got a getty settlement demand letter, my company is not registered in US

« on: July 11, 2011, 10:53:05 AM »

Hi Oscar/Mathew,

Pls. advise on this situation. Thank you for enabling this forum in helping small folks like me in educating the key facts on copyright infringement and the notorious practices followed by companies in extorting money. Thanks again.

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Getty Images Letter Forum / Just got a getty settlement demand letter, my company is not registered in US

« on: July 10, 2011, 10:56:15 PM »

Dear All,

Need your help as I am not at all familair with Getty Settlement Demand letter and got totally caught off-gaurd.

Background and Context:

I have a company recently registered in UK in the anticipation of securing some business. I also wanted to see if I can secure some business in US. So, I took help of an Indian company to develop my company website. Website was up and running for the past 1 year. In the website, I gave an address in US as a contact address to see if I can secure business. I have not regisitered neither have operated any business in US but just used a local address to get some contacts. For the past 1 year, I could not generate any business so I went back to employment. Now I get the notorious letter from Getty that one of images used in the website is copyright infringed. Honestly, I had no idea about this and when I contacted the Indian company I came to know they don't exist anymore. After I got the letter, I immediately removed the images mentioned in the settlement demand letter. It mentions of 1 image and Getty is asking me to pay $979.19. This is a clear innoncence on my part and I had not intention to perform any copyright infringment. Also, they sent the letter to the US address with my company name which actually does not exist in US.

Given the above, should I just ignore this rude letter, if so what could be the consequences I need to be prepared for. Please advise.. Many thanks.