8K For A Stolen Image?

Damn

Damn

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A client of mine called me and said there was a problem with his website.

He told me someone sent him a letter saying that they used a copyrighted image and needed it taken down and to be compensated $8,000.

Has anyone else had this issue. This scares the shit out of me because I've been creating websites for people for the past 4 years and I'm just trying to make a living. Needless to say I've never purchased any stock images and normally just let my customers choose their images from Google.

I always thought that a C&D was the only legal issues I'd run into but now this...

Is this lawyer bluffing trying to get us to pay up or what?
 
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Who has contacted them? I've heard horror stories of Getty images fiercely protecting their copyright with lawsuits.
 
So, according to you, you are using copyrighted images and with no credit to original owner, so now its time to pay back. Next time make sure, you will use photoshop.
 
kickthat said:
Who has contacted them? I've heard horror stories of Getty images fiercely protecting their copyright with lawsuits.
Click to expand...

TBH I have no idea, I told him to bring the letter in and I'd check it out tomorrow.
 
Sounds like crap to me. Maybe take the image down of course, but i wouldnt think too much into the demand for compensation. It sounds totally disproportionate.
 
There lies your problem
" Needless to say I've never purchased any stock images and normally just let my customers choose their images from Google. "

Unless your customers are briefed by you as to what images they can or can't use, then unless you check the copyright with them, you leave yourself wide open.


If you are in business for real and want to be taken seriously, comments like this are worrying to potential customers ' Needless to say I've never purchased any stock images' Needless to say ???
Why did you not ? Couldn't be bothered ? Couldn't afford it ?

When I order any website I make clear that the builder is supplying images, that are legally able to be used. I get it confirmed in writing.
 
I saw a similar case when , a guy created links for a web hosting review site by scraping content. By misfortune, he scraped content from competitor website, SEO company paid compensation of 6K.
 
If your clients told you which images to use and they picked them.... it's not your issue!

If you chose them and resold within the design... you stole them for a profit


If the client chose then I presumed you've made it clear about copyright and it's their choice
 
ThatSEO said:
If your clients told you which images to use and they picked them.... it's not your issue!

If you chose them and resold within the design... you stole them for a profit
Click to expand...

This can be a legal point, but being a designer you must know about copyright related affairs.
 
ThatSEO said:
If your clients told you which images to use and they picked them.... it's not your issue!
Click to expand...
Actually it is. If I build a website for a local builder do you really expect him to know online copyright law? As the website designer it's your role to inform clients of these potential issues. If they then choose to go against your advice, so be it.
 
Take the image down and tell him ignore the $8000 request, which is absurd.
 
idk.. i mean the phucken entire internet is basically stolen material

but im pretty sure they would have to take you to court to demand that much. and they wouldn't be doing it for 8k as im sure court costs would exceed that pretty quickly

i would definitely listen to them and take it down, though.

but i mean even if some big company comes after you im not sure what they can do.. if you've made millions (then they definitely have a right to) then they will probably get fairly compensated..but im pretty sure in order to be sued you have to have whatever amount theyre asking for

for instance, i dont think you can sue a bum for 250million as he doesn't have it. you may be able to get their assets or something but im not sure how that works

i would actually question the legitimacy of the entire thing for the request of compensation
 
We've got letters like this before. We remove the image and ignore the letter. They are just trying to scare you into paying. Ignore these slugs.
 
kickthat said:
Actually it is. If I build a website for a local builder do you really expect him to know online copyright law? As the website designer it's your role to inform clients of these potential issues. If they then choose to go against your advice, so be it.
Click to expand...


Exactly why I said the bit that you didn't quote ;)
 
Just tell your client to take down the image. $8,000 for an image? They're clearly bluffing.
 
would WHO IS privacy have protected this from happening?

would putting all your clients on a offshore hosting account have prevented this problem without them even noticing they were on a offshore server?

Just thinking about future protections for your business model as a uniform practice.

Take the image down and ignore the letter.

If they search google for images, use the search tools button and select usage rights, then select labeled for reuse or labeled for reuse with modification.

This takes the hard work out of finding noncopywrite images...but the selection is pretty bare.
 
There was an article of some content provider company which had same problem, they ended up negotiating and paying $3000
From what I understood, there are specific lawyers who use software to scan internet for their clients property and if someone used it, they send you the bill, which is usually $8k.

What is the worst, this is probably business model of some people, rank images on google images, noobies use those images and end up being sued by this jerks for $8k.
 
Tove said:
There was an article of some content provider company which had same problem, they ended up negotiating and paying $3000
From what I understood, there are specific lawyers who use software to scan internet for their clients property and if someone used it, they send you the bill, which is usually $8k.

What is the worst, this is probably business model of some people, rank images on google images, noobies use those images and end up being sued by this jerks for $8k.
Click to expand...

I read that article, I didn't want to end up being suckered like him.
 
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