WARNING: Getty Images Cracking Down!

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Just an update - My UK client has not heard anything further from Getty after they sent them a recorded letter stating:

Dear Sirs

Ref: Case No. XXXXXXX - Date

We have received an invoice for £XXXXXX for image
reproduction - after taking professional advice we strongly dispute
this invoice for the following reasons:

  1. The images mentioned are not being displayed on our current website

  2. We have not received any communication from you regarding this
    matter other than your invoice, which is against the DMCA (DMCA 1998
    Section 512).

  3. We have no idea where they came from (a website designer many
    years ago) and were unaware they were not free to use

  4. The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (c. 48) states:
    “97.—(1) Where in an action for infringement of copyright it is shown
    that at the time of the infringement the defendant did not know, and
    had no reason to believe, that copyright subsisted in the work to
    which the action relates, the plaintiff is not entitled to damages
    against him, but without prejudice to any other remedy.”

  5. Finally:

“It is an offence under Section 40 of the Administration of Justice
Act 1970 and Section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act 1988 to
harass of debtors with a view to obtaining payment including the
issue of letters which convey a threat or false information with
intent to cause distress or anxiety.”

We therefore fail to acknowledge your letter or the invoice as legal
or lawful.

If necessary we will contact the Dept of Trade and Industry, Office
of Fair Trading, Camden Trading Standards, Watchdog and anyone else
who will listen if we hear from you again.

Yours faithfully

etc

strangely a month after they got their letter I also got one - I had used an image (and purchased license) for a clients website - once launched I featured a screenshot of the homepage which had the image (fairly large) within it plus a detail of the screenshot with the image in it on my portfolio page.
I pointed out same points above as my client and I have had an email stating my reason has been accepted and no further action will be taken.

Also guys - when posting to this thread copy the below at the end of your post and remove the asterisks - this will help others searching for this info.

[URL=“http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=390902”]Unauthorised Use of Getty Images[/URL]
[URL=“http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=390902”]Getty Images[/URL]

it will display as my signature does below: