Getty Images is using an outside company to search the web for unauthorized use of anything it thinks belongs to Getty Images. When they find a picture that they “claim" to own rights to, they send out letters to those who own the website who are innocent in what they have on their website, and demand MONEY be paid…basically $1000 per picture found.

Most of what they are coming across are innocent people who legitimately bought a web template from a different company which contained the pictures in question (and were given the “rights" to use those pictures). Or, they downloaded the pictures from other resources which also gave them the “right" to use that picture….it did not come from Getty Images.

These innocent people who bought templates from outside companies were given the right to use these templates “as is"….and had the “documented rights" to use the pictures Getty is claiming “they" own. When one of their innocent victims asks Getty Images to provide “proof" that they indeed own the right to the pictures in question…they will NOT provide legitimate proof. In the letter they demand $1000 per picture but will “settle" for roughly 70% of that price if you pay immediately. Since the people they are sending these demanding letters to are innocent and have not done anything knowingly wrong……many don't know what to do….they are caught in the middle as an innocent bystanders.

Most, if not all, have immediately removed the pictures in question from their websites and have not made any money from those pictures,…but Getty continues to send invoices demanding that they pay regardless of if they have taken the pictures down. This is wrong! Getty needs to be going after the web template companies that sell these templates….not the innocent customers of those web template companies. Instead they have chosen to send out letters to people all over the country demanding payment and threatening to take them to court...even when the pictures in question are immediately removed upon initial notification!

Innocent Victims
WKD, District of Columbia
U.S.A.