Messages

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Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Another Newby Masterfile

« on: December 11, 2012, 01:08:12 PM »

You all are just terrific!  I can't believe the amount of support you receive in this forum.  Amazing!  I should restate my previous statement.  "I removed all pictures from my media library"  I have no idea if this particular one was included.  I just deleted the whole entire library after this event.  I am not giving in to this!

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Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Another Newby Masterfile

« on: December 04, 2012, 01:19:55 PM »

So the update is that I received a phone message out of the blue from Geoffrey Beal yesterday, stating that they have reduced my fee to $500.  Not good enough.  Unless it is reduced to $0, I will be contacting Oscar and he can add this to the list of lost cases to go along with the $6 million dollar case.

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Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Another Newby Masterfile

« on: November 29, 2012, 05:33:52 PM »

Thank you Stinger!
I did contact them by phone and email.  However I did say that I wasn't sure how the image ended up on our blog that if it just showed up, on linking or if we actually added it.  I also stated that we normally do not use images for this reason specifically, unless they are our own. However I am still not sure how the image ended up on our blog nor did I even realize it existed.  When emailing Geoffrey, I did say that it was a link to another blog. 

He stated that they had to pay the artist, so basically I have to pay up.

I received the Notice of Copyright Infringement that the others have stated receiving, with the screen shot and of course the bill of $2540.  What I find interesting and perhaps is irrelevant, is that I am being billed, retroactively for an image until 12/06/12 and the image was removed 11/26/12. 

I am not contacting them further nor do I intend to send in our company records. 
I was reading another post where they discussed spiders and bots on their website and were suspicious if this is how the image was found.  Well in the past month or so, our blog has been hit by spiders and bots with links back to spam sites.  Wondering if this is how it was discovered. 

I am a bit anxious because the letter states that I have to pay up in 10 days.  Not sure if I don't if something worse will happen.  The letter is dated 11/22/12 and I was out of town and received it on Monday.

I am new to all of this.  UGH!  A lot to learn!

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Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Another Newby Masterfile

« on: November 29, 2012, 05:16:42 PM »

Yes have definitely learned a lesson about getting images from Google or Bing!  Never again.

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Getty Images Letter Forum / Another Newby Masterfile

« on: November 29, 2012, 04:31:37 PM »

I just received our Notice of Copyright Infringement from Masterfile on Monday.  I am reading the forums on where to even begin with all of this.
Our company blog was linked to another blog who used the image.  Not sure if we copied the image from their blog and uploaded it or it somehow came up when linking the blogs. I am not a "blog master" at this point by any means.
Masterfile is demanding $2540 for the retroactive use of this one image since Sept 19, 2012.  When I phoned Masterfile,  I spoke with Geoffrey Beal Copyright Compliance Officer ext 2276 who informed me that I have to pay up even though I removed the image from my  blog.  (I also remove the image from m blog media library) I told him that I can not afford this kind of fee and that I felt it was excessive.  He then said for me to send in my P&L statements and other personal info to him, so that he could arrange a possible payment plan of $250 a month for 3 months.  That there, left an uneasy feeling with me. I thought when speaking with him, that this was a scam.  I am also tempted to ignore it all.
I am so grateful to my son who found this website. I may just enlist the help of Oscar to handle this for us.  The image originally came from Google images on the other blog.  I often get my own images from Google or Bing.  This needs to stop! I am trying to alert the media to all of this as well.  I think others need to be informed of what is going on and that this site is here to help us.
Back to work for me now.  Scanning the forum for where to even begin with all of this.  I am assuming a response letter is required. If anyone can direct me to the "start", it would be very much appreciated.