I remember about 10 years ago, I used an image without permission and received a simple takedown notice like a week later, and never did it again.
Fast forward to the present, one of my main competitors runs a news website that uses images from the Getty website. I've seen galleries where the guy has as many as 30 photos - and he's done this practice for at least 6 or 7 years.
Over the years, I would estimate that they have thousands of photos that originated from Getty.
Speaking to one of his managing editors who just left him, they have never even received a second look from Getty or any copyright attorney.
I just don't get it, as several webmasters I know received threatening emails or letters within weeks or even months of using some copyrighted photo.
However, I was told by the editor that left, that the website in question DOES buy some Getty images legally, but only a handful a year.
I almost wonder if Getty's attorney runs the website's contact email in the database, sees them as a registered customer and leaves it at that.
Or maybe they go after certain kinds of images, as just about everyone I know that was contacted by their legal team, was using some form of stock image. The website in question uses images of Trump, Kardashians, etc.