- Report: #792095
Complaint Review: Getty Images - New York New York
Reported By:
George -
Portsmouth, Rhode Island, United States of America
Submitted:
Updated:
-
Author Not Confirmed
Why?
Getty Images
75 Varick Street New York, NY New York, 10013 New York, United States of America
Phone:
+1 323 202-4200
Web:
http://www.gettyimages.com
Categories:
Business Rating:
(0)
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Getty Images Getty Images strong arms a small company for $2,100.00 for a picture purchased elsewhere New York, New York
We purchased an image from a local company who copied this image from a disc in a set of image discs they had in their shop. They invoiced us, and sent us a copy of the invoice with the license restrictions.
This image was used on a website and 7 years later, a letter arrived demanding $875.00 for an alleged copyright infringement. They sent the letter to the client who owned the website. The client, ask us to remove the picture until they could straighten out this mistake on Getty Images' part.
The client furnished Getty Images with the original receipt for the image, yet Getty Images not only still demanded money, they up'd the ante to $2,100.00 and placed it in their lawyers hands and the threat of legal action. So on behalf of this client, I spoke to the legal firm, whom I must say was very kind and reasonable and surprised that there was a receipt for the purchase of this image from the other company. I guess Getty Images just sort of forgot to send the copy of that receipt to the law firm along with their other made up bull crap.
The nice attorney at the firm understood the dilemma and said they would present this to Getty Images and try to get the fee reduced to the original demand. I asked if, under the circumstances since the picture was bought elsewhere, if they could get Getty Images to let it go, but their outlook was not too encouraging. Heck they're only a multi-million dollar company (yes part of the 1%) why not step on one of the 99 percenters?
I suggest not to use Getty Images services or products. Try Fotolia.com they are honest and don't bother you.
I'm reporting Getty Images to every business rating service I can, as well as the Attorney General's office in New York city. There are thousands of people being inappropriately threatened by this evil company.
This image was used on a website and 7 years later, a letter arrived demanding $875.00 for an alleged copyright infringement. They sent the letter to the client who owned the website. The client, ask us to remove the picture until they could straighten out this mistake on Getty Images' part.
The client furnished Getty Images with the original receipt for the image, yet Getty Images not only still demanded money, they up'd the ante to $2,100.00 and placed it in their lawyers hands and the threat of legal action. So on behalf of this client, I spoke to the legal firm, whom I must say was very kind and reasonable and surprised that there was a receipt for the purchase of this image from the other company. I guess Getty Images just sort of forgot to send the copy of that receipt to the law firm along with their other made up bull crap.
The nice attorney at the firm understood the dilemma and said they would present this to Getty Images and try to get the fee reduced to the original demand. I asked if, under the circumstances since the picture was bought elsewhere, if they could get Getty Images to let it go, but their outlook was not too encouraging. Heck they're only a multi-million dollar company (yes part of the 1%) why not step on one of the 99 percenters?
I suggest not to use Getty Images services or products. Try Fotolia.com they are honest and don't bother you.
I'm reporting Getty Images to every business rating service I can, as well as the Attorney General's office in New York city. There are thousands of people being inappropriately threatened by this evil company.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Back Beat John
Portsmouth,Rhode Island,
United States of America
I appreciate your opinion.
#2Author of original report
Wed, October 26, 2011
I appreciate your feedback and you are 90% correct, except I did not steal anything and documentation was provided as to the source of this image. Just to let you know, that when I purchased this picture, I was sitting next to him, he took out several discs from a commercial collection of photos and I picked out a few pictures from this collection, but narrowed it down to the image in question.
He printed off a receipt, with the source documented on it. The owner of this shop has since passed away a few years ago. Believe me, as soon as that letter was received, I would have been on his doorstep for the supporting documentation, a picture of the disc collection and any other documentation that I would need. Since I was a witness to the origin of this picture, I know that either Getty acquired it after the publication of this disc collection or was mislead when they did acquire it.
I also suggest that you go out on the net and read about this common practice. There are several more complaints here on this site and hundreds of other sites out there chastising their practices.
I'm not upset with them investigating, I'm very upset about the fact that they do not accept the possibility that they may be wrong, considering the documentation provided.
Visit http://extortionletterinfo.com/ for a more informative and professional explanation of this practice. I only wish I had found this site before this whole mess got out of hand.
Robert
Irvine,California,
U.S.A.
No RipOff
#3Consumer Comment
Tue, October 25, 2011
If Getty owns the copyright to the image, the real company you should be upset with is the local company that "copied" the image and sold it to you. Because if they can't provide you any documentation that they had the rights to do that the local shop is wrong.
Now, if this local shop can provide you with proof that they had the right to re-sell it from Getty(or it is not actually a Getty Image), let Getty take you to court..they would loose. But if this shop can't provide documentation, you(or your client) is going to have to pay. But then you should turn around and sue the shop that originally sold you the image because they had no right to.
Heck they're only a multi-million dollar company (yes part of the 1%) why not step on one of the 99 percenters?
- That doesn't give you a right to steel. It doesn't matter if you "knew" about it or not, that is what happened if the company did not have the right to sell the image in the first place.
If you have "bought" other images you better work on verifying the copyrights very quickly or this may come up again.
It sounds like you do web design. So imagine one of your clients copied your design and sold it to another company. What would you do? Would you just "let it go" without compensation or would you protect you rights for the work you did.
