Boycott Getty Images!

I sell product for a company that allowed me to use there images for marketing. One of the images supplied had a portion of a Getty image and now they are attempting to extort $1350 from me. I have no intent to infringe on there copy write, there are millions of images on Getty images, how would I know the company supplied me a image that may be in violation? I have a free legal plan and plan to use it.

I am in the process of dealing with their bullying lawyers. I have not paid.

I purchased a web template and used only one thumbnail image a 27Kb file of a mailbox. Getty extorted $600 out of my corporation for this one file. I hope Karma is a bitch Getty.

Getty Images Extortion Letter - Copyright Trolls If you are reading this, you are just one of the thousands (if not millions) of individuals or owners of small businesses who have been receiving extortion letter for using an image off internet which a company called Getty Images claims is theirs. They are misusing (and misinterpreting) the copyright law to make large amounts of money (in millions of Dollars), by employing greedy attorneys and legally abusive collection tactics i.e. letters, phone calls, etc. A little search over internet will reveal thousands of other links which are complaining about such extortion practices of companies like Getty Images. It is surprising that neither the Government, nor Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has taken serious note of it to stop it. There is a pending legislation in the Congress against such copyright trolls and you are highly encouraged to speak to your local Congressman to pass it as soon as possible. Getty Images is an American Company (part of a Carlyl Group based in Seattle, Washington) operated by Mark Getty and Jonathan Kleinand. It owns hundreds of websites and operates with different names online i.e. Allsport, Word View, Liaison Agency, Newsmakers, Online USA, Hulton Press Library, Picture Post, Hulton Deutsch, Hulton Getty, Keystone Collection, EyeWire, Energy Film Library, Archive Photos of New York, Image Bank, Hulton Archive, Archive Photos, Pictorial Parade, Frederick Lewis Stock Photos, image.net, MediaVast, WireImage, FilmMagic, Contour Photos, Master Delegates, Isifa Image Service, Laura Ronchi, Jupitermedia, Jupiterimages, stock.xchng, StockXpert, Redferns Music Picture Library, PhotoDisc, Tony Stone Images, Hellman & Friedman (H&F), Flickr or iStockphoto. They deliberately populate the internet with their images, enticing people to get them off their websites for FREE by using keywords i.e. Royalty Free Images, Free photos, License free photos, etc. And then they use a software tool to spider al

Extortionists!

Getty images make user fools, they want to do business on copyright. if they really are ethical then they should put watermark to prevent user from unknowingly useage

Don't waste your time on these clowns.

I run a NPO (non-profit organization) and sent Getty my OWN letter as to why we're refusing to pay their ransom demands. If anyone would like to see my response please contact me.

they guys suck! i hope this petition will help!

Shame on their extortonist actions.

My web preparer, who is not longer around, used two small images without my authorization. When the first letter was received, the images were inmediatly delete. Getty continue their harasment.

Threating letters for the image that was copyrighted after the use by Getty Image.

Getty Images practices highly unethical business practices by employing lawyers that practice extortion, harassment & frivolous demand letters used to scare small business owners into paying them huge amounts of money. They want $2,158 from me for a watermarked image, we never used on a website that was never promoted or that ever collected any money. The site has been removed from the internet. A graphic designer used the image, with the watermark to show us what was possible. We in fact hated the image. Getty Images has never proved that they even own the image? How are graphic designers supposed to show their clients possibilities to then sell the images??

Gangsters

I received GettyImages extortion letter by mail and email. ..I found a website called virtual clinic.com that had a form letter stating copyright laws require they must prove their rights to an image and they have not proved that at all...just to send some demand letter out of the blue without proof of legal ownership is utterly ridiculous and I refuse to pay it.I requested that they and their lawyer from McCormack cease and desist from contacting me until they prove the rights to the alleged image they accuse me of using on my website. Other colleagues of mine received the same letter and was left alone..but me they keep bugging. ..let them sue me..I have not much to go after..I am a small business owner and I dont make alot of money..Getty images are idiots...by the way my mother used to work for GettyOil company back in the day...lol...yes please get rid of these knuckleheads!

I honestly believe this is going to catch up with them and I hope it does.

beware professional designers and agencies. You will lose clients as they will go after them as soon as you fight their tactics.

Getty Images are thieves preying on the unsuspecting internet users demanding unrealistic monetary infractions. Beware of this practice. The government should shut them down as spam extortionists with no merit. How do they get away with this?

what a scam! Take them down.

Everything presented in here is absolutely truth. Shame on Getty Images for doing this to hundreds of thousands of innocent people.