MBS Do you know how many people get ripped off by Getty images scam letters? Richmond California

 On January, 2013, I received a letter from Getty images that I used their image on my website. They asked for $780 for using unauthorized  image. The image I got it from free images on the internet. If you just type free images on the search engine, you will have many. Although, some of the images have company name, special trade mark and other tags on the image. The image I got was just lavender photo and it did not have any restriction and no name of the owner. There was no price on it.

I called the company number that was provided on the letter, someone picked the phone and transferred me to another person. The other person did not pick her phone up and i left voicemail. I left my phone number to call me back. I thought $780 is just threat, that they have to make. I said I'd be willing to pay $78 for the cause. Noone called me back.

After two months, I received another letter demanded exactly same thing as previous letter. Again, I called and lingering voicemail and told them I am willing to pay $78. Please call me back. But noone called me back.

Today 06.10.2013, I received a letter from Mccormack Intellectual Property law office for demanding $1286 and 21 days and take me to court.

Is there anyone ripped off by them? Did you just pay them off whatever they demand? If you did, they are using our weakness. We just did not want to deal with them. The images they threw on the internet, innocent people like me picked them up, seeing noone titled as a owner, nor any special tag or restrictions. But as soon as someone picked it up, owner just popped out, and started evaluated How much they can scam.

If this is their way of living, that is no good, a lots of innocent people tricked and victimized by their fishing hook. Their fishing is under the name of law, and using unemployed lawyers. 

Please let me know if anyone want to stand up and see the bottom of it. I am pretty sure that they are collecting millions for their free bait images as a fishing hook. If that is how they survive? What a ashame? 

Please help  me out here and let's stand up and see the bottom of it. If there is a faulty law out there, then people in white house need to be amended it.