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[KK357]

Hi all, I am new on here. I am a Nutrition Blogger and a single mom with low income as a writer. In 2014 I used a picture of a jar of ghee on my blog, in a post about the health benefits of fat. At the time I was a new blogger, and did not realize it was copyrighted. I did not monetize on the photo. I received a threatening letter a couple of weeks ago to remove the image and pay $1500 within 10 days. I removed the image, but do not have that kind of money. I told them I removed it, and that I was unaware it was illegal to use the image. I just received another threatening e-mail giving me 5 days to pay $1500(right before Christmas), and threatening a huge law suit, leins on my property, $150k in fines, paying their legal fees, etc. The company is called "Image protect" I am a single mom with limited income, and this is so scary to me. Do I just pay them, or does that label me as vulnerable to them? I have literally destroyed my blog removing all images (even all the ones I paid for) out of fear over this. Any help is greatly appreciated. I did schedule a call this week with Matt as well. I cannot afford a lawyer. All correspondences have been addressed to "sir or madam" and been through e-mail. I'm thinking about taking down my entire blog, even though I worked hard on it. Friends tell me to just ignore, but it's hard with those types of threats.

[Robert Krausankas (BuddhaPi)]

1. Relax
2. Read through the forum get educated.
3. Chances are slim they will sue you.
4. you have no money, so you are in effect "judgement proof"
5. liens on your property are total BS - see #2 above
6. they don't even know your name.
7. DO NOT CONTACT THEM - again see #2 above
8. They look for people just like you, who haven't seen #2 above, are easily scared, and are likely to pay up, don't be that person...GET PISSED if anything and fight back.

[KK357]

Thanks for the feedback. I did reply once based on advice from a local lawyer. I said the photo has been removed, I consider this issue resolved. I have not responded since, and will no longer respond. I have been reading through the forums. It is helping! Any forum in particular I could focus on or you can direct me to that will be of help?

[Matthew Chan]

Who sent you the demand letter? Different firms and parties operate differently.

[mgoreloGD]

Robert Krausankas...Have you known Peter Holt to actually file his Settlement Demand Letter complaint to the U. S. Copyright Office if he is ignored?

[Robert Krausankas (BuddhaPi)]

Robert Krausankas...Have you known Peter Holt to actually file his Settlement Demand Letter complaint to the U. S. Copyright Office if he is ignored?

What? Your question makes  no sense..one doesn't file a demand letter to the copyright office.. One "might" file a copyright infringement lawsuit in federal court, but the copyright office is not involved kin any legal proceedings. It's literally beenn years since we have seen any letters from Perter Holt, thought he was out of the game, but apparently not, or he just returned.