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Getty Images Letter Forum / My letter - Belgium
« on: August 30, 2008, 05:38:29 AM »
Dears,
First of all I want to thank you for this wonderful site and all the effort everyone is doing to join forces against this Golhiat.
This is my story.
I and a friend one day started a little webhosting busniss doing this only on our free hours (you really can see it as a hobby of us) for this business we had made a little website where we used some pictures we have found on the net using them from free templates found over the net and on a free stock image site.
In the beginning of June I received a letter claiming that I used pictures and that Getty claims 4000 € without 21% VAT for using this pictures.
As everyone I first paniced, I removed the pictures and took even the site down and wrote them an apologie letter (mail), telling them that we didn't know that these were copyrighted pictures, and that we even don't have this amount, the only thing I'm willing to do is to pay the amount of the pictures as mentioned on their site (for Example 150 €).
After one month I received an answer on my mail that they thank me for taking down the pictures , but that they still claiming the amount, but that htey want to do an effort of giving me 50% reduction if I pay before september.
I once explained them that we don't have the money, and if we had this our business need to be stopped.
Received a reply that this is not their problem and that they also need to pay their photographers.
a few weeks later I received a last warning before they will send my case to their legal department, now I didn't replied on this letter and left it like this. What we are going to do is to stop our business and if there is no business they can't claim anything, can this be help?
Dear mister Oscar, What do you know about the belgium copyright law? what do you suggest me to do? should I worry and go seek for help?
Many thanks for all your feedback and keep up the good work.
rgds,
Tarck
First of all I want to thank you for this wonderful site and all the effort everyone is doing to join forces against this Golhiat.
This is my story.
I and a friend one day started a little webhosting busniss doing this only on our free hours (you really can see it as a hobby of us) for this business we had made a little website where we used some pictures we have found on the net using them from free templates found over the net and on a free stock image site.
In the beginning of June I received a letter claiming that I used pictures and that Getty claims 4000 € without 21% VAT for using this pictures.
As everyone I first paniced, I removed the pictures and took even the site down and wrote them an apologie letter (mail), telling them that we didn't know that these were copyrighted pictures, and that we even don't have this amount, the only thing I'm willing to do is to pay the amount of the pictures as mentioned on their site (for Example 150 €).
After one month I received an answer on my mail that they thank me for taking down the pictures , but that they still claiming the amount, but that htey want to do an effort of giving me 50% reduction if I pay before september.
I once explained them that we don't have the money, and if we had this our business need to be stopped.
Received a reply that this is not their problem and that they also need to pay their photographers.
a few weeks later I received a last warning before they will send my case to their legal department, now I didn't replied on this letter and left it like this. What we are going to do is to stop our business and if there is no business they can't claim anything, can this be help?
Dear mister Oscar, What do you know about the belgium copyright law? what do you suggest me to do? should I worry and go seek for help?
Many thanks for all your feedback and keep up the good work.
rgds,
Tarck