Messages

16

Legal Controversies Forum / Drew Curtis: How I beat a patent troll

« on: November 22, 2012, 09:30:35 AM »

http://on.ted.com/Curtis
Have you seen this?
Drew Curtis: How I beat a patent troll

"When Fark.com was sued by a patent troll "...for the creation and distribution of news releases via email" alongside companies such as Yahoo, MSN, Reddit, AOL, and TechCrunch, the eight-person company stood its ground. "I had hoped to team up with some of these larger companies and defend against this lawsuit but one by one they settled out of the case even though not one of these companies infringed on the patent," says Drew Curtis, founder of Fark. The reason? The average troll defense costs $2 million and takes 18 months if you win. He proves that little guys don't have to let themselves get bullied with frivolous lawsuits."

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Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Why are you on ELI? Why do you keep coming back to ELI?

« on: November 12, 2012, 11:55:01 AM »

I stay. I'm loyal. I'm committed. I'm not done with Linda Ellis . Okay, I consider many of you friends. I'm also deeply interested in the issue. This is now part of my life, my conversation, my business advice and my cause. I will never forget the feelings I experienced during the months of interacting with that psycho and her stupid poem. I will also never forget the excitement and support I experienced when Uncle John entered my life and supported me. That stuff sticks. The fact is people still are being victimized and they still contact me in spurts for support. I now have the knowledge to give them that support. I never would have dreamed that attorneys would read my blog and use my words to tell Linda Ellis to bite the big one. I owe a lot to ELI and I won't ever forget Thew and the rest of you. Ever.

18

Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Jonathan Klein and Getty Images - Do As I Say, Not As I Do.

« on: November 12, 2012, 11:46:15 AM »

Damn this is good. Greg - consider posting something like this on Craigslist - "Conducting research on Getty Images business practices as it relates to copyright infringement and photographer compensations. Specifically seeking individuals who have proof they have been negatively affected by Getty Images by way of unfair compensation, copyright infringement, contributor agreements, etc. Specifically seeking employees and/or former employees with direct knowledge of abuse of power, discrimination, entrapment, harassment and copyright enforcement policies."  I will gladly meet up with anyone in my area in support of this process. There might already be a "club" of Getty Haters right under my nose.

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Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Jonathan Klein and Getty Images Know How to Treat Their Contributors – Not.

« on: November 12, 2012, 11:33:42 AM »

Greg Troy - you are a great addition to the ELI team. Keep up the investigation. Please consider sending your articles to Washington Media. You might flush out other "reporters" missing your angle and ELI's position. Everyone loves to see abusers brought to justice, especially during difficult economic times. Consider repeatedly sending emails to all the business writers in this area (repeatedly). I guarantee you will get someone to pick this story up.

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Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Jonathan Klein and Getty Images, a history of questionable business practices?

« on: November 12, 2012, 11:25:53 AM »

I am impressed with this research. Greg, you should consider submitting this post (and others) to tech mags and business media. This is juicy stuff and everyone loves David vs. Goliath stories. Dare I say, you might just have a good book brewing on this subject. (I know a good publisher - "Thew"). A book might be the missing link to media coverage. Add to that the video and this issue might finally get the press it needs to warn others and expose extortion schemes and victims. Imagine how many people will come out against Getty once mainstream media starts reporting.

21

Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: I'm done worrying about it.

« on: October 13, 2012, 12:05:28 PM »

You stole an image, got caught, removed the image and moved on?  Good job I guess.  Maybe next time you shouldn't steal the image to begin with?

I interned at Getty Images when I was in college, many years ago.  The company pays thousands of professional photographers worldwide to snap pictures, nonstop.  Out of every 100 professional-taken photos the company pays photographers to snap, only 1 makes it to their archive for resale.

When individuals like you steal their images without paying their requested royalties, you cause the price of images for all other paying customers to go up.

If you have an oz. of integrity, you'd pay them for the image you stole and then proudly display it on your Website, since you know it's a very worthy image to display.

I live in Seattle. I was there as a personal friend of a key founder when Getty started. Not sure that trumps an intern but I will say this. This is not the old Getty Images. This is the new creepy Getty Images. Are you aware that the lawyers that claim to be fighting for the photogs keep nearly all - if not all the money they get from filing copyright claims? The photogs don't get that money. If you can prove that they do, then you should post what you know to be true from your experience at Getty. Getty legal is not fighting for the photogs - they are fighting for their own bank accounts. You should read through every single post on the forum and you will soon discover that most people who share a photo or put a photo on their websites and blogs really have no idea about copyright infringement. They ARE ignorant because there has been no Public Service Campaign warning people and almost no discussions in the media about this issue.

Remember when the cellphone law started? We didn't suddenly get busted for using our cell phones while driving. Before we got ticketed years were devoted to warning and educating people through Federal and States campaigns and years before that, tons of publicity about accidents caused by cell phone usage while driving. Extortion Letter Info is one of the few resources for people to get help and fight back. Getty does not want the general populace to be informed about copyright infringement or fair use. Ignorance = money to them. They have done very few interviews educating the public. There are no PSA's. Nothing. Photogs should stop using Getty, Istock, etc. and build a reputation through their own individual promotion and websites. Each of those people you call a thief is a potential customer depending on how they are "sold" on that photographer during the initial contact. Photogs are being used. Period.

I would like you to clarify this - "The company pays thousands of professional photographers worldwide to snap pictures, nonstop." Are you sure Getty has thousands of photogs on payroll to shoot photos? Or are you saying Getty pays photogs for photos after they submit those photos and then reject 99% of the submissions? There is a big difference.

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Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: I am getting slammed by photographers

« on: October 12, 2012, 10:41:22 PM »

Ryen, I was about to put myself into the conversation but after reading your posts, I don't think you need any help.  But if I were to post I would write " If I am at the offices of Getty Images and decide to use the toilet and tear off 4 squares of TP and wipe my arse , I would consider that Fair Use. But if I took the entire roll of toilet paper and stuffed it into my purse, I am pretty sure I know I am a thief. I won't go to jail for taking a shit but I could go to jail for the latter. Not for theft but for disorderly conduct. Note to self: white senior women don't get arrested these days for stealing $2.00.".

One more thing. If I am in the grocery store and pick up an apple, take a bite, then put the apple back, the damages would be assessed at the value of the apple at the time of the bite. Not on the fact that I deprived the store from finding another customer who "might" have bought that apple to make a pie. Further if I put the apple in my purse and walked out of the store, the apple is still worth $2.39 a pound, not $2,390 a pound.

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Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: I am getting slammed by photographers

« on: October 12, 2012, 06:41:00 PM »

I no longer buy images from Getty, Istock and others. I buy photos directly from photogs or hire my favorite photog, Dave Sizer, to shoot content for me. I want the photog to get a fair fee that he or she negotiates with me directly.

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Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Haters

« on: August 10, 2012, 03:51:12 PM »

I'll get it started: http://wp.me/p1S8Jh-1F excellent blog post.

Don't you find it interesting that writers, photogs, videographers all believe we steal from them, but what about the rest of us in other professions who have methods, procedures, ideas, processes that are original to us? Is the content they captured original to them? The photog didn't build the Brooklyn Bridge, form the sunset, position the birds, the land, the clouds. The artists didn't create the content in most cases, they only likely arranged it or captured it. The fact is almost nothing is original to A person. Is our only revenge to never buy another photo, video or audio? Like most people on this forum my intellectual property is used everywhere and not only am I rarely credited, other auctioneers have actually taken credit and copied my training word-for-word. The difference between them and ME? I never run out of great ideas and I don't waste my time on yesterday. The haters actually believe they are special when in fact, they are uninformed. Everything - content, ideas, methods, processes, etc. is likely "Stolen" from another.

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Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: ELI Factor: Episode 1 Premieres!

« on: July 31, 2012, 01:12:52 AM »

Finally got to see Episode 1 without interruption. I like it. Keep it up guys.

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Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Multiple Roles on ELI and the bigger copyright extortion fight

« on: July 31, 2012, 12:42:25 AM »

Aside from being a great audience for this forum - I intend to focus on the media at whatever capacity time, my job and life permits. The Beware Don't Share message is important and prevents others from innocently playing into the extortion scheme and is here to stay. Over time, I expect the ELI forum to be known as the David that slew the Getty Giant. Linda Ellis? She is already a melting witch. She may be over sooner than we think. John Jolin? There aint enough Viagra to set him upright. More will come and with ELI they too will be done.

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Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Recieved a demand letter today

« on: July 24, 2012, 01:06:46 AM »

Post them here. I want to see the damn clouds!!

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Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Public Records Requests for Getty Images Update

« on: July 21, 2012, 08:56:33 PM »

OMG. I can't wait to read these!

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Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Seattle Times full page statement

« on: July 21, 2012, 06:13:23 PM »

Thanks for all the ideas. I'm hell bent on getting this message to the general populous. soon baby soon.

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Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Seattle Times full page statement

« on: July 20, 2012, 08:52:09 PM »

This is great. I will get some new numbers together for us to discuss regarding billboards.