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Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Received letters from CEG
« on: October 19, 2012, 03:17:23 PM »
Robert, sorry, I have not checked my email account in a couple days due to work related travel. I'll get right on that.
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Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Received letters from CEG
« on: October 19, 2012, 12:43:33 PM »
I'm doing further research and have run some searches via the http://cocatalog.loc.gov US Copyright Office website and I do not see where the images are registered. I see some other images by this person from early in 2012 listed but not these which are probably a month or more old. I've also noticed in other Getty-style letters they list the images copyright registration number, similar to the letter shown in this thread:
http://www.extortionletterinfo.com/forum/getty-images-letter-forum/copyright-services-international-is-back-again/
In the letters I've received they simply showed my URL for the images (and a picture via those that arrived in the mail) and a date/time stamp but no actual copyright information for the images themselves. Does this mean anything or is the copyright office ultra slow in either sending paperwork out or updating their database?
Thanks!
http://www.extortionletterinfo.com/forum/getty-images-letter-forum/copyright-services-international-is-back-again/
In the letters I've received they simply showed my URL for the images (and a picture via those that arrived in the mail) and a date/time stamp but no actual copyright information for the images themselves. Does this mean anything or is the copyright office ultra slow in either sending paperwork out or updating their database?
Thanks!
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Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Received letters from CEG
« on: October 16, 2012, 07:47:38 PM »
Yes, they are indeed. Just need to figure out the next steps.
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Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Received letters from CEG
« on: October 16, 2012, 12:13:04 PM »
They just sent me three more for some files that were deleted and for some reason popped back up again. I validated multiple times that all the files had been removed including the html page itself.
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Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Received letters from CEG
« on: October 16, 2012, 10:27:14 AM »
I've received them via email AND I have received statements in the mail showing a copy of the webpage. The email notifications came in sometime last week and I was not aware of them until my ISP forwarded notifications to me. I only check that email account every few weeks. Once aware the content was removed immediately. The postal copies came in this past Saturday.
I'll get a copy of one of the notices to you.
I'll get a copy of one of the notices to you.
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Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Received letters from CEG
« on: October 16, 2012, 10:04:14 AM »
I can upload/send a redact version later today or this evening sometime.
How "up to date" is the online copyright public catalog? Again, this particular owner does not show any images added since 2011 via a current public search. Is there a way to determine if CEG was hired by this owner to protect their works without contacting the owner directly and should that be one of my next steps?
I know there is only so much that can be said other than telling me to "research" but I'm not really finding others sharing their stories other than Getty images and this issues seems a bit different.
How "up to date" is the online copyright public catalog? Again, this particular owner does not show any images added since 2011 via a current public search. Is there a way to determine if CEG was hired by this owner to protect their works without contacting the owner directly and should that be one of my next steps?
I know there is only so much that can be said other than telling me to "research" but I'm not really finding others sharing their stories other than Getty images and this issues seems a bit different.
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Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Received letters from CEG
« on: October 16, 2012, 09:33:50 AM »
The images are on a few sites that I can tell via Google but I assume they purchased rights to them for publishing.
Per the public copyright catalog these images are not listed via a search. The owner may have registered them but they are not showing in the system yet? Nothing is registered under this owner since 2011 via the search and these images are recent.
I do not know if CEG has the right to enforce. I'm not sure exactly how to find this out without contacting said owner of photo?
Per the public copyright catalog these images are not listed via a search. The owner may have registered them but they are not showing in the system yet? Nothing is registered under this owner since 2011 via the search and these images are recent.
I do not know if CEG has the right to enforce. I'm not sure exactly how to find this out without contacting said owner of photo?
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Getty Images Letter Forum / Received letters from CEG
« on: October 15, 2012, 08:59:41 PM »
I recently received 7 letters from CEG TEK International demanding $500 for copyright infringement with the following content (not all content from the letters)
"You are hereby notified that unauthorized use of XXXXX's Work on the website identified above is a violation of the U.S. Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. 106. In this regard, request is hereby made that you either:
(i) Produce proof of license of said image by emailing it to: [email protected]. If you are in possession of a valid license from XXX for the use of the image, we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. XXXX has a diligent protection policy to ensure consistent, optimum value and quality for its loyal customers.
OR
(ii) Remit settlement in the amount of $500.00 by visiting https://www.copyrightsettlements.com/XXXXXX and immediately and permanently cease and desist the unauthorized use and display of said image.
If you do not already hold a valid license or settle as described above, you may be held liable for monetary damages, including attorney's fees and court costs if a lawsuit is commenced against you. You have until November 05, 2012 to access the settlement offer and settle online.
If you fail to respond, settle, or produce proof of license within the prescribed time period, the claim will be referred to our attorneys for legal action. At that point, the original settlement offer will no longer be an option and the amount will increase as a result of us having to involve our attorneys."
The images were only on the site due to resizing. There was no editing of their information from the pictures. The text before the images stated where they were from and linked back to where they were from. My site is a non-commercial site and were removed immediately. There were less than 200 different visitors (less after you remove spiders and other bots) to said page and the images were up for appx 12 days.
So, 7 images at $500 each is $3500. Pretty steep for a stupid mistake, little traffic, and no intent to infringe on my part.
I don't want to deal with lawsuits and courts (I don't really have time). Most of the information I've seen here is in regards to Getty images or P2P other than the Lidsay Lohan site in which the owner paid and shut it down. I've really seen nothing to suggest there is much more I can do other than try and negotiate lower payments or fight and eventually go to court? Has anyone tried contacting the original image owners to negotiate a deal instead of dealing with these extortionists?
Thanks
"You are hereby notified that unauthorized use of XXXXX's Work on the website identified above is a violation of the U.S. Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. 106. In this regard, request is hereby made that you either:
(i) Produce proof of license of said image by emailing it to: [email protected]. If you are in possession of a valid license from XXX for the use of the image, we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. XXXX has a diligent protection policy to ensure consistent, optimum value and quality for its loyal customers.
OR
(ii) Remit settlement in the amount of $500.00 by visiting https://www.copyrightsettlements.com/XXXXXX and immediately and permanently cease and desist the unauthorized use and display of said image.
If you do not already hold a valid license or settle as described above, you may be held liable for monetary damages, including attorney's fees and court costs if a lawsuit is commenced against you. You have until November 05, 2012 to access the settlement offer and settle online.
If you fail to respond, settle, or produce proof of license within the prescribed time period, the claim will be referred to our attorneys for legal action. At that point, the original settlement offer will no longer be an option and the amount will increase as a result of us having to involve our attorneys."
The images were only on the site due to resizing. There was no editing of their information from the pictures. The text before the images stated where they were from and linked back to where they were from. My site is a non-commercial site and were removed immediately. There were less than 200 different visitors (less after you remove spiders and other bots) to said page and the images were up for appx 12 days.
So, 7 images at $500 each is $3500. Pretty steep for a stupid mistake, little traffic, and no intent to infringe on my part.
I don't want to deal with lawsuits and courts (I don't really have time). Most of the information I've seen here is in regards to Getty images or P2P other than the Lidsay Lohan site in which the owner paid and shut it down. I've really seen nothing to suggest there is much more I can do other than try and negotiate lower payments or fight and eventually go to court? Has anyone tried contacting the original image owners to negotiate a deal instead of dealing with these extortionists?
Thanks
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