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Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Got My Letter

« on: February 02, 2014, 10:10:47 AM »

See this type of claim from them makes no sense. If you license an image in conjunction with a product, you should be able to continue to use it to promote that product.

I work in television and we use quite a bit of Getty Images. (For now. Trust me, I'm working on changing that.) But if this is Getty's policy, it makes it impossible to use their photography. When we license an image for a show, say it is going to be on a fake billboard, if a frame from the show contains that shot with the billboard, Getty can sue anybody using it. We cannot use that shot in a press kit, or in marketing materials. Heck, the production company cannot even sell the show to an ancillary market (like a DVD distributor or syndication) without them re-licensing the image.

If this is truly their policy, I need to take it up with the networks' legal department. Bruce, please keep me informed of what happens in your specific case. I guess you'll just take their advice and let it lie. But if you are contacted again, please reply to this thread and/or personal message me.

Hello Jerry and others, thanks so much for your input and info regarding my situation. I will for sure keep you all updated on what happens with this. For now I will just let this ride out and see what takes place. I am not going to respond to them any further.

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Getty Images Letter Forum / Got My Letter

« on: February 01, 2014, 10:38:22 AM »

Hello all, I got my first letter about 2 months ago demanding $1065 for a single image found on my webstore. The letter was just a really bad screen shot of the add. I got a second letter about 1 month ago saying I had until January 10th to respond and pay up or I will be contacted by an outside agent.

So here is my story on how this came about.....

I own and run a website that I list items for sale. I get all of my descriptions and images from the manufacturers website....See I do not manufacturer my own products, I am simply and authorized dealer for over 15 major night vision companies. I list their products and when a sale happens, the product is drop shipped directly from the manufacturer and/or supplier. The manufacturer provides me with all the info to put in the listings such as description of the item and of course the images of the product.

Well the image in question was got directly from the manufacturers website, as I figured they had the rights to it. When I got the letter I did email Getty Images and explained to them I got the image from the manufacturers website, gave them my sales reps email address and contact info, and told this is not my fault. They dont seem to care so I contacted my sales rep at the manufacture and sent him a scanned copy of the letter. He proceeded to tell me to dont worry he will take care of it. Oh and yes I did take the image down the same day I got the letter...

Upon getting the second letter I then again sent my sales rep the scanned letter. He got back to me and stated they had originally paid for that image and I had nothing to worry about. My sales rep even got conformation from the manufacturers president who relayed info for me in saying to just ignore them, that he has been dealing with them for over 20 years and just to ignore them and do not respond any further.

The image in question is #926824-001

http://www.gettyimages.com/Search/Search.aspx?contractUrl=2&language=en-US&family=creative&assetType=image&p=926824-001

Again, I dont get where they get off trying to collect money from me for an image that was obtained from my manufacturers website. What do you all think?