Warning - Unauthorized Use of Image !!!

aristocratic · Jul 25, 2021

Hey guys

I just received an email from copytrack. com

Issue: Warning - Unauthorized Use of Image

They are asking Post-license fee and compensation cost, a total of $1,000.

I have bought that blog a long time ago and I didn't even post those images.

Anyone else had any experience like this before?
These guys seem to be so dead serious lol

Yrior · Jul 25, 2021

No cease and desist? Straight for the compensation?

aristocratic · Jul 25, 2021

Yrior said:
No cease and desist? Straight for the compensation?

2 Options to solve this:

$400 for the past use and remove pic.
Another $450 if I want to continue using!

polecat · Jul 25, 2021

Don't know the site well but it does sound a bit like a scam .

You can simply delete the image then request proof of where the image is as if they can't present any proof you win case or just don't reply back to emails and they will probably get bored then leave you alone

aristocratic · Jul 25, 2021

polecat said:
Don't know the site well but it does sound a bit like a scam .

You can simply delete the image then request proof of where the image is as if they can't present any proof you win case or just don't reply back to emails and they will probably get bored then leave you alone

just removed the image.

I think they can find it on waybackmachine, can they?!

Yrior · Jul 25, 2021

aristocratic said:
2 Options to solve this:

$400 for the past use and remove pic.
Another $450 if I want to continue using!

Delete and ignore.

aristocratic · Jul 25, 2021

Yrior said:
Delete and ignore.

yeah, I was thinking the same but I hope i don't get fu*ked in the future! lol

1greatcpa · Jul 25, 2021

How did they find you? Do you have contact details or address listed on your website?

insom · Jul 25, 2021

Did you check wayback is that url indexed there?
Any option to use under fair usage?
Is that image in services like C%anva.. you can show like you got it from there?

1greatcpa · Jul 25, 2021

You can also remove your site from wayback so they can't trace it back to you:
https://help.archive.org/hc/en-us/articles/360004651732-Using-The-Wayback-Machine

aristocratic · Jul 25, 2021

1greatcpa said:
How did they find you? Do you have contact details or address listed on your website?

I have an email on "Contact Us"

insom said:
Did you check wayback is that url indexed there?
Any option to use under fair usage?
Is that image in services like C%anva.. you can show like you got it from there?

Yes, the link is indexed on Wayback.
Funny thing is that I bought the website and I had no idea bout it! I take all images from C*nva as I have a pro account there.
This image was uploaded by the person who built the site for me!

Edit: Seems like the picture is Original from one blog! The blog owner has the copyright for that photo.
And the company has contacted me on behalf of that person!

belg · Jul 25, 2021

Copytrack is not a scam.

They are douchebags but they are legit.

Anyone can sign up to them and upload their images and their crawlers will do the rest.

It's a great way to make money if you're a photographer.

I dealt with them... They don't stop.

After ignoring them for months I eventually paid the fee.

Idk where you live, but if you live in Europe like me, they send debt collectors here...

Unless you have a license for the images or can claim fair use, you have no leg to stand on.

SunnyLeon · Jul 25, 2021

belg said:
Copytrack is not a scam.

They are douchebags but they are legit.

Anyone can sign up to them and upload their images and their crawlers will do the rest.

It's a great way to make money if you're a photographer.

I dealt with them... They don't stop.

After ignoring them for months I eventually paid the fee.

Idk where you live, but if you live in Europe like me, they send debt collectors here...

Unless you have a license for the images or can claim fair use, you have no leg to stand on.

Where do they send the debt collectors? How do they find you?

belg · Jul 25, 2021

SunnyLeon said:
Where do they send the debt collectors? How do they find you?

I'm not a blackhat. My business name is included in the footer of each of my sites and my address is listed in the Privacy Policy to comply with GDPR.

SunnyLeon · Jul 25, 2021

OK, I understand. Because as per the same GDPR all of your private data is protected, except for what you publish yourself. So they shouldn't be able to track anything else except for what you have as available. They might contact the hosting or registrar with a DMCA notice, but as soon as you remove the picture they have no more grounds to ask for anything..

GenesisOne · Jul 25, 2021

Replace the images with new ones from Canva and ignore any further emails.
No one is going after you to collect 1k for erased images

nSnoopy · Jul 25, 2021

I always wondered where do these guys get these numbers "1k$ compensation fee" f@ck them, just switch somewhere offshore and ignore them, also remove the image and continue to ignore them.

patriotnews · Jul 25, 2021

polecat said:
Don't know the site well but it does sound a bit like a scam .

You can simply delete the image then request proof of where the image is as if they can't present any proof you win case or just don't reply back to emails and they will probably get bored then leave you alone

Thank goodness they can’t take a screenshot of the image when found as an identifier already.
I mean when I have gone after people for using my images commercially I take a screenshot, but that is tricky, having to set up the camera, get the frame rate correct, screen flicker… if only there was a way on the computer to take a picture of what you are seeing on the screen, or even record what is on your screen. Whew that would be a game changer.

usually when someone would delete images, if I didn’t want to go through court, I would file dmca with their host for their theft of copyright, and inform the host of their potential liabilities, usually got their site dropped.
Sometimes I would also file with Google to get them deindexed for copyright issues.
Just depends how I felt or how much time I had.

the fee sounds low, much lower than I would start with so I would question this company though OP.

Alpha1404 · Jul 25, 2021

SunnyLeon said:
Where do they send the debt collectors? How do they find you?

OSINT, public registries, etc. It's easier as you believe in fond people behind websites

TheMarquis · Jul 25, 2021

aristocratic said:
2 Options to solve this:

$400 for the past use and remove pic.
Another $450 if I want to continue using!

A third one: Remove the image and forget about them.
Don't forget: The entire World steal the croissant recipe from the french people. And no one knows from whom the French stole it...

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