Messages

1

Higbee Associates Letter & Lawsuits Forum / Re: Got a Higbee letter - how can I ask for proof of copyright ownership?

« on: November 01, 2018, 04:10:41 PM »

@Ethan Seven Curiosity question, then:

Also, not all images are registered with the US Copyright Office, so you might have to look at other sources of proof of ownership, such as credibility of the claimant or other sites crediting the photographer for the image

How does the attorney prove ownership in court (if it comes to that), if there is no Copyright Office record? On what basis would a court believe an ownership claim?

2

Higbee Associates Letter & Lawsuits Forum / Got a Higbee letter - how can I ask for proof of copyright ownership?

« on: November 01, 2018, 11:41:54 AM »

Hi all! Newbie here. This is a great forum, extremely helpful. Very grateful for the support!

Long story short, I got a letter from Higbee. Looks like it's a follow-up to some emails and letters that picrights sent earlier in the year, that I ignored, pertaining to just one image on our website (which I promptly took down as soon as I got the first email). Higbee now asks for $1200. Before I respond to him: How can I ask for proof that he or his client actually owns the copyright? In other words, is there perhaps a US Copyright Library website somewhere, to which I can ask him to provide a deep link, showing the specific image and the copyright number with which it is registered? Obviously if he can't prove that he or his client owns the copyright, we shouldn't have to even bother with this.

Thanks in advance!