Retired Forums > Riddick/Imageline Letter Forum
New Getty CLONE Hits Embroidery Community
Crafty:
George P Reddick representing Imageline Inc has sent me an email saying my website has infringed on his company's images. The website creates and sells embroidery designs using images available from various sources. He has identified several images that belong to his company's image library but were purchased by me from either Jupiterimages website (clipart.com) or from a CD-Rom of images. Both touted "Royalty Free" etc on the front page of the site and on the packaging in the case of the CD. And their terms of use on the website seemed to indicate that using thier artwork for embroidery designs was acceptable use. In fact, clipart.com's site still says this on thier home page... or it did until I went to copy it here. And it's gone. (I think I have saved a copy of that)
In checking with friends in our industry it seems that many of them have received the same email and follow-up emails recently. Others have been dealing with it for as much as 6 weeks now. Several have paid the extortion money in one form or another. Others are fretting over what to do. He is claiming $7,500 per image used, but he is such a nice guy that he will accept a fraction of that money (20% to 25%) as long as the person turns over all the embroidery designs created with his images and agrees to also give him additional designs not created with his images that he then credits to their account in the amount of $200 per design, plus agrees to work for him making additional designs. They can also get a credit for turning in other people that they discover to have used his company's artwork.
His images appear to be legally copyrighted by the documentation sent to a couple of these folks so that won't be a defense in this situation, at least I don't think it will be. I'm looking for any input from Oscar and others on this new scam. Also, I wanted to start this thread here for others in the embroidery design business who receive his emails and start searching for what to do next.
Thanks for your help.
Pat
PS: I forgot to ask... once someone settles with Imageline, what happens when Jupiter comes knocking on their door? If the images came from clipart.com (owned by Jupiter) and were copyrighted to Imageline, would these folks then be liable again?
riddickvictim2:
There is much information on GR if you Google "George Riddick III."
His targets are not limited to the embroidery community.
riddickvictim2:
Mr. Michelen:
Thank you for making this forum available. Would you consider making your legal services available to Riddick victims? (Nearly 500 by my last count.) All documentation available upon request.
Thank you for your consideration.
Crafty:
After reading the settlement terms it occurs to me that Riddick must be planning on opening his own embroidery design sales site or he wouldn't be interested in accepting designs from the people making settlements. When he opens that site, will he then be selling to end users who will later on be victims of his extortion letter?
It looks like this whole thing is a big setup. Maybe he will be setting those folks up for later income to his business.
Pat
Matthew Chan:
Riddickvictim2,
I am not Oscar Michelen but I am the Editor of this website. If you want, please email or fax your documentation to me and I will begin looking into this on my end. I feel quite confident that Oscar will be able to assist your situation as he has expanded his assistance to other individuals involved with companies other than Getty Images.
Matthew
riddickvictim2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mr. Michelen:
> Thank you for making this forum available. Would
> you consider making your legal services available
> to Riddick victims? (Nearly 500 by my last
> count.) All documentation available upon
> request.
> Thank you for your consideration.
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