Topics

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UK Getty Images Letter Forum / Snippet Which Magazine UK.

« on: May 05, 2016, 08:05:15 AM »

Which Magazine is a highly respected consumer publication in the UK....

Found this on their blog regarding the top digital scams of 2016 and how to avoid them.

https://blogs.which.co.uk/technology/security-software/digital-scam-watch-2015/

Stock photo payment scam

If you have a website or blog of your own, chances are you also have some images on it. You may have taken these images yourself, or obtained them from a legitimate stock photo website.

You might receive an email from a legitimate-sounding company stating that your images are unlicensed or copyrighted by them and that you must pay them for using them.

Do not send them any money. For the most part, you’ll probably know where the images on your own website come from and just who owns them. In the off chance that you don’t (you just grabbed them from a Google Image search, for example) it’s highly unlikely that the owner will hunt you down and demand payment.

The worst case scenario is that you’ll receive an email from the true owner asking for accreditation or for you to remove the image. Do not send money to anyone claiming rights to imagery, no matter how threatening they may sound, without them providing further evidence and conducting your own research first.

Yet further evidence that Getty or LCS may be dancing in the dark and may not actually hold the exclusive copyright to progress matters to court..

Some questionable business practices being displayed on this web page.....

Are they suggesting rights owners tell lies when they declare exclusive copyright?

https://support.500px.com/hc/en-us/articles/205330167-What-is-License-Compliance-Services-

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UK Getty Images Letter Forum / Question if I May

« on: April 22, 2016, 06:54:16 AM »

An image is for sale on a rival photo agency website (say a small one like Pinnacle or a large one like the PA) but not on Getty or any of it's subsidiaries.

How does Getty/LCS know that a licence hasn't been purchased for legitimate use of the image(s)?

I appreciate in a lot of these cases they are shooting in the dark and hoping to sucker in some gullible people but even if (and it is a very big if) rival agencies provided Getty licensing information who is to say that a web designer purchased a licence (in their own name) and placed the image and recovered the cost in their overall fee.

Just another piece of the puzzle I am trying to put together.... Topical question I guess would benefit other forum users also..

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UK Getty Images Letter Forum / Email from License Compliance Services, Ltd

« on: April 13, 2016, 09:15:06 AM »

I have this morning received an email from LCS purporting that I was using one image (press association) out of copyright. Requesting I pay ÂŁ400 with a 20% discount which is in place for 10 days.

Is this par for the course? I thought these things were to be sent by letter. Anyway I have not responded and have no intention of doing so until I have read through this extremely valuable resource.

I have of course removed the image from my server. Prepared to accept it may have been used out of licence  but it was placed about 2 years ago by a web designer I engaged online through odesk and some chap in the far east did some web design for a price. Reading the UK citizens advice site it seems to suggest that only the person who placed it is liable?

Also done a tin eye reverse search on the image. And it is on the web with a copyright notice on it name of photographer/Press Association which was not on my version, clearly it was cropped out.
Does this make a difference at all?

Are we to views these as speculative invoices in much the same way as they try and charge you extra for overstaying parking  in McDonalds or Aldi car park?

Unless they actually have the name of the person who they should be directing the bill at there is little they can do?

I guess I should expect a letter in the next few weeks?