Getty images request for payment

[zag]

Has anyone ever received a letter from getty images about unauthorised use of an image on your website?

 

It seems we used an image that is copyrighted by them(Just found it on google images and used it) and now they are demanding payment for it even though I have removed it immediately.

 

We have a threatening letter that's been written from their legal department.

 

I wouldn't mind so much if the price was reasonable, but they want £1500 for it

[russdev]

Let la legal team deal with it but Getty they do tend to get lawyers onto case very quickly..

 

Also get in touch with union to make sure you have your back covered as you could get into hot water for not checking that you are allowed to use an image when you added it to the website.

 

Russell

[jcollings]

Oh yes - someone here used some without realising. They wanted..............wait for it..............£35000

 

Luckily our bursar managed to explain we didn't know etc, we're only a poor school etc and they waived the charge!

[tech_guy]

Be careful there is a scam doing the rounds whereby someone purporting to be from Getty Images demands money for using stock images. I'd check that the names and addresses all tally first.

[FN-GM]

Just out of interest what was in the image?

[localzuk]

This is the precise reason I stripped all the images from our old school site and now insist people show me the license if they wish to include any image that they didn't take themselves on the site. I just don't want to have to deal with any legal threats from anyone.

[beeswax]

I had an agent who sold my work to magazines and companies around the world, and my view was (and is) if I've done the work, then I want paying for it. If they want to attract people to an article, or use the picture to sell goods, then it's only right that I should be paid and credited. If they objected then in went the lawyers.

I'm sorry that you've unknowingly fallen into this ittech, but as tech_guy says, it may also be a scam. I suggest you search Getty Images to see if the picture you used is actually in their library.

[zag]

I had an agent who sold my work to magazines and companies around the world, and my view was (and is) if I've done the work, then I want paying for it. If they want to attract people to an article, or use the picture to sell goods, then it's only right that I should be paid and credited. If they objected then in went the lawyers.

I'm sorry that you've unknowingly fallen into this ittech, but as tech_guy says, it may also be a scam. I suggest you search Getty Images to see if the picture you used is actually in their library.

 

As I said I wouldn't mind so much, but £1500 for this image, they are having a laugh.

 

Its a 15kb jpg photo of a pile of documents!

[cehwitham]

We're very careful about what images we use on our website for this reason but have found Stock Exchange (stock.xchng - the leading free stock photography site) to be very useful for finding royalty free images.

[beeswax]

Bit late in the day, but Wendy M Grossman on the heavy-handed tactics picture agencies use when pursuing payment | Technology | The Guardian might interest you

[contink]

Bit late in the day, but Wendy M Grossman on the heavy-handed tactics picture agencies use when pursuing payment | Technology | The Guardian might interest you

 

That's about what I thought the whole thing was like... Interesting article though and well worth having that link for when one of the schools makes a mistake.

 

Personally I would have thought that anyone who takes immediate action to remove the content is doing the right thing. After that it's going to be difficult for anyone to collect much of anything.

 

... and schools know how to deal with bullys ... but then I'm no lawyer and the law can be such a donkey at times.

[mossj]

still on topic *well sort off* but is clipart royalty free? I seem to remember a arguement that went unanswered when doing a joint web project (at uni) and the issue has come to light again as im being asked to send e-letters out with clipart in.

[localzuk]

Depends where you got it from...

[mossj]

well I'm guessing there getting them from word/publisher and clicking clipart... a not so savvy user puts the e-letter together in publisher so i shouldn't think shes doing anything complicated.

[tom_newton]

FWIW, we tend to use istockphoto - all "pay for" but many relatively inexpensive pics.

[localzuk]

well I'm guessing there getting them from word/publisher and clicking clipart... a not so savvy user puts the e-letter together in publisher so i shouldn't think shes doing anything complicated.

 

http://www.microsoft.com/about/legal/permissions/default.mspx#E4

 

So, it looks like it is fine for personal use, but nothing more.

[SteveBentley]

Another potential source of free photos is Flickr - if you search for stuff which has been tagged with an appropriate Creative Commons license and attribute it as required by the license.

[ICT_GUY]

When I do websites for customers I usually use bigstockphoto.com usually works out at around £1 per photo for web use. One price for all photos, gets cheaper the more credits you buy. No restictions apart from not using them in logos.

[enjay]

http://www.microsoft.com/about/legal/permissions/default.mspx#E4

 

So, it looks like it is fine for personal use, but nothing more.

 

I'm guessing that extends to include not advertising a school, however it does leave a grey area over using it in posters advertising the school play, etc...

[localzuk]

I'm guessing that extends to include not advertising a school, however it does leave a grey area over using it in posters advertising the school play, etc...

 

A school play would more than likely come under 'business', rather than school use.