Messages

1

Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Oscar to ask Attorney Gen. of NY to investigate Masterfile. EVIDENCE AVAILABLE!

« on: August 21, 2011, 11:38:45 PM »

First, I am not your "Dude"

Second, I am talking about Oscar sending a letter to the Attorney General asking to investigate Masterfile. Filing a class lawsuit is something that can be done later.

Sending a letter to the Attorney General to investigate Masterfile is one of the initial steps that can be taken and it does not involve any costs except for the time to type the letter.

If Masterfile were investigated, it would create media attention and many law firms would be watching and analyzing ways to profit from filing a class lawsuit against the large stock image companies.

Yes. In several places of this website it is written that Oscar "has 500 letters on his desk" Oscar has the evidence to support a class action lawsuit once it is possible. For now it is important change the legal environment in favor of the innocent infringers. The cheapest and simplest path is to get the Attorney General order to investigate the business practices of Masterfile (which is the ugliest of them all and the best one to begin with.)

I am working to limit ugly practice of these companies and myself have written numerous complaint letters to the Attorney Generals. Nobody says that it is easy, but there are some easy and cheap steps that can be taken to make it easier later.

Please do not attempt to minimize or criticize my efforts. You cried, so Getty forgave you. You can move on. Unfortunately there are thousands of others that are still being pursued. My efforts are to help everyone, not just myself. If you have nothing constructive to add, please keep quiet and watch others carry the fight. I am not expecting you to do anything, you clearly have no clue and motivation to do anything other than get yourself off the hook.

We need to motivate people to fight and influence changes to the presently outdated copyright laws.

2

Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Masterfile, Getty and others act like a dumb farmer. US courts too dumb to see.

« on: August 21, 2011, 11:01:04 PM »

I am not angry and I am not calling you names Newzshooter. This is my writing style. Stop panicking.

Whatever your excuses are, it does not change the fact that you extort $100000s from people over some picture that you took with your digital camera. Nothing can justify that, even volunteering at school. Your crime far exceeds that of the infringer. Your greed will destroy you one day.

Canon 5D Mark II is a full frame professional camera. The lens selection, knowledge of optics, equipment and your skill play the most role. Also different equipment is intended for different purpose. EOS 1Ds may be good for weddings, or sports events, but not for the kind of photography that I do where the equipment cannot be too heavy or cumbersome.

What do you have?, probably some outdated clunky Cannon Mark EOS from few years ago? LOL.

You don't seem to have much knowledge of equipment if you tell me that judging by my equipment I don't have knowledge or similar. You are either angry at me that I blasted you for your money extorting photography business, or you are not that good of a photographer.

What is your website?, I want to see your pictures.

I will also check if your website is infringing upon some of my software patents or some other companies patents. Maybe myself, or someone else can sue you for $500K or take a share in your future earnings, or maybe will take your house if worth anything. I wouldn't take your camera and lenses because I would need you to keep photographing those weddings to earn a share of my settlement income. lol. Patent is more important than a picture so 500K is the minimum amount plus we need some deterrence to make sure that you don't do it again.

You should know that there is a software patent for almost everything. Every website infringes upon at least 3-5 patents. Starting from browser detection (IBM patent), elements of shopping cart (Amazon patents) and many more. They are just not being enforced (why? because the infringement is widespread), but I'm sure that some of these companies would gladly pursue someone like you if you try going after them or even just for fun because some stock image company in the past harasses a nephew of a friend of an IT company executive. This actually gives me an idea to figure out what patents Masterfile website is infringing upon and notify the companies that own these patents to pursue infringement claims against Masterfile. Why not? Masterfile could have obtained a license, but instead they had decided to willfully infringe upon registered software patents.

Maybe you work for Masterfile and are posting here rubbish?

I don't condone stealing intellectual property, but I much more despise those that are trying to make windfall profits from multiple lawsuits and ruin other businesses or personal lives which is what you are doing apparently. Volunteering at school won't absolve you from your crimes against poor people and their businesses.

You are correct. I do not volunteer. I work only for profit, but my work is honest and I pay ton of taxes that pay to support this country including a dysfunctional government that is unable to pass laws protecting American business. I am volunteering my time now trying to rid of crooks that destroy American businesses and people.

3

Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Getty, Masterfile, Righthaven, and others committing crimes on a daily basis?

« on: August 21, 2011, 10:56:12 PM »

@photohrapher
No. You cannot sue 5-10% of small businesses to drive them out of business or torment individuals that posted your stupid image on the internet. Period! These businesses are US employers that are crucial to the US economy. Your dumb picture is not important. Do you understand this or not? I suppose not.

I can bet that you have several CDs at your home with copied software or music from your friend, or have given it to someone. If not you, your child has them.

Suing the end user (someone that has purchased template) for image that the template maker used, is totally stupid. If you used the same process, you could be sued for everything you purchased and are using as the end user.

For example: If you are using Canon camera to shoot your photos for your photography business, you could be sued by Nikon because you are using Nikon patented technology in the Canon camera that you bought and are using it in your commercial business as the end user.

Don't you get it? Probably not.

Greedy photographers, please stop wasting Soylent's time and others time here. Many of the issues you raise have already been answered in different topics of this forum. Soylent or others don't need to feel obligated to respond over and over again to the same thing. We are busy working here on devising a plan to curb your greedy aspirations and change the laws to protect the innocent infringers. The forum is intended for victims of the flaw in the US law, not for those that abuse it. You will have the chance to voice your opinion in court once we fire back a class action lawsuit against all of you extortionists.

If your photos are not selling, too bad. Change your profession. Many of us have DSLR cameras and are photographers as well, but not trying to get rich of it by filing lawsuits like some of you.

Put a copyright sign on all of your images if you don't want them copied. There are many images that are not copyrighted on the internet and the owners want others to use them. Why should we need to assume that all of them are copyrighted. Put that copyright sign to distinguish yourself, otherwise don't cry if your photo is copied.

You cannot sue 5-10% of small businesses to drive them out of business or torment individuals that posted your stupid image on the internet. Period! These businesses are US employers that are crucial to the US economy. Your dumb picture is not important. Do you understand this or not? I suppose not.

YES, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE. PUT A COPYRIGHT SIGN ON YOUR PHOTOS IF YOU DONT WANT THEM COPIED. DON'T HAVE THE SIGN, IT WILL BE COPIED THAT IS GUARANTEED! IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE SIGN, IT MAY MEAN THAT YOU WANT YOUR PHOTOS TO BE COPIED SO THAT YOU CAN SUE SOMEONE LATER FOR $30000. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT YOUR WORK, NOT JUST FILE FOR COPYRIGHT AND WAIT UNTIL SOMEONE COPIES IT SO THAT YOU CAN FILE LAWSUITS. THIS IS HORRIBLE! THAT IS WHY THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE BEING VICTIMIZED. IT HAS GROWN TO A POINT WHERE LARGE FOREIGN CORPORATIONS MASS EXTORT MONEY FROM INNOCENT AMERICAN PEOPLE. STOP YOUR ENTRAPMENT SCHEME AND PUT COPYRIGHT ON ALL OF YOUR IMAGES TODAY!

4

Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Masterfile - in need of urgent advice

« on: August 20, 2011, 08:07:35 PM »

It does not end on you paying $200. Your lawyer will file a case for a frivolous lawsuit, mental distress and other crimes by Masterfile. You would make money on this.

5

Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Getty, Masterfile, Righthaven, and others committing crimes on a daily basis?

« on: August 20, 2011, 07:51:58 PM »

@newzshooter, please leave Katerina alone. She is correct.

Katerina, you efforts to write a letter and send it everywhere will be greatly appreciated. Write to the Attorney General in several main states specifically about Masterfile. They are the worst and the easiest to topple first. Recommend the Attorney General to investigate Masterfile for extortion, barratry and other crimes. Point them to this website and Oscar to obtain specific evidence of all crimes.

The most important is to write and send the letter. It does not need to be perfect. It is enough to write. "Please investigate Masterfile see this website for details: www.extortionletterinfo.com". You dont even need to sign your name. Just send it. Later you can send another longer and better letter. Send it via their website. It only takes a few seconds! My other post in this forum has all the links where to send it.

@newzshooter, you can find a solution to your problems in my response here:

http://www.extortionletterinfo.com/forum/index.php/topic,2161.0.html

6

Getty Images Letter Forum / Oscar to ask Attorney Gen. of NY to investigate Masterfile. EVIDENCE AVAILABLE!

« on: August 20, 2011, 07:16:59 PM »

Oscar is a great man. I am asking him for help (in a brutal way:). I apologize in advance for what is about to come below.

Oscar is in possession of hundreds if not near a thousand of extortion letters that he has collected for the past several years and keeps collecting every day. These letters can serve as evidence of extortion for profit, barratry(see SoylentGreen post) and other crimes. He is/has represented hundreds of cases when the infringement was clearly innocent, but Masterfile and others continued to extorting 1000's for one image. He can take all of the clearly innocent infringement cases, compile them to EXHIBIT A, B, C, D.....Z and show to the US courts that the laws in the United States should be amended to first require cease and desist notice and if the infringer refuses, apply penalties and other punitive measures. Otherwise many innocent single moms with blogs or mom and pop small businesses are unfairly tormented by this. In the UK and most of the civilized World, laws protect the innocent, but not in the USA. A change in the law, depending on how it is done might allow for a class lawsuit by those that paid 1000's and were innocent. All future victims would be protected as well.

SoylentGreen presented an excellent cause for class action lawsuit against Masterfile. - Barratry!
"Several jurisdictions in the US have declared barratry (in the sense of a frivolous or harassing litigant) to be a crime as part of their tort reform efforts" - see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barratry

Must read SoylentGreen's post:
http://www.extortionletterinfo.com/forum/index.php/topic,2196.0.html

Other Examples:

This is in the UK:

The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (c. 48)
“97.—(1) Where in an action for infringement of copyright it is shown that at the time of the infringement the defendant did not know, and had no reason to believe, that copyright subsisted in the work to which the action relates, the plaintiff is not entitled to damages against him, but without prejudice to any other remedy.”

“It is an offence under Section 40 of the Administration of Justice Act 1970 and Section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act 1988 to harass of debtors with a view to obtaining payment including the issue of letters which convey a threat or false information with intent to cause distress or anxiety.”

UK Copyright Troll lawyers sanctioned:

"..We had noted that Davenport Lyons lawyers were being investigated by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal for their actions, which has now concluded with the two lawyers being fined £20,000 each and barred from practicing law for three months. Part of the issue was that the tribunal determined that the lawyers knew they were targeting innocent people with the scheme."

Full article:
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110803/02192515373/uk-copyright-trolling-pioneers-sanctioned-actions.shtml

Because of this website and his involvement, Oscar is sitting on a big pile of evidence against the Copyright Trolls. Given a proper strategy, he can file a class action lawsuit for multiple causes including: extortion, barratry, blackmail, harassment, emotional distress, mail fraud, wire fraud etc..

But because it is easier to just collect $195 per letter and can be quite profitable if you have 1000 cases and more every month, he won't do it and will be telling everyone that what they do is legal and that he and nobody else can't do anything about that and that "the Copyright Trolls are here to stay". Not to mention that once in a while Oscar can make 1000's if bigger case goes to court. Oscar a defense lawyer on the side of infringers is profiting from the Copyright Troll abuse. It is well deserved but at some point Oscar should fire back and contribute to changing the laws in the USA instead of just sitting on this evidence and not doing anything but profiting from the abuse together with the Copyright Trolls and their lawyers.

Most if not all of the victims that are willing to share their correspondence and information do it through this website and many hire Oscar because of his advertising here and cheaper fee for a bulk response letter. They don't go anywhere else because of this website. The evidence collected should not just go wasted and should be used collectively to change the copyright laws in the USA to make them similar to UK and the rest of the civilized world. Oscar has the evidence. He needs to concentrate, make a good plan and strategy and fire back.

Oscar could easily write a letter to the Attorney General in New York telling them that he has all the evidence of extortion, barratry, blackmail, harassment etc.. available upon request, explain what is happening and recommend changes to the laws. Attorney General of New York would listen. Oscar could ask the AG to investigate Masterfile how they conduct their business. They would investigate them. Masterfile is the worst and will be the first one to go. Oscar, why don't you want to do that? Please help the people. Yes, you can! Yes, it is possible! Yes, it can be done! and Yes, the AG would most likely sanction Masterfile to limit their abuse. This would set the precedent to change the laws and protect innocent infringers in the USA.

In fact, this is what all the innocent infringers should do. Write to the AG all over the USA and ask to investigate Masterfile. Tell them all that you know and point to this website as reference. Instead of writing letters to the scumbags to negotiate, write to the Attorney General. Your time will be better used.

The last question is: Why is the name of this website "Extortion Letter"? Why Masterfile or Getty does not file a lawsuit against this website for libel, defamation and damage to their business? Why? This website hurts their profits, because people refuse to pay after getting educated. The Trolls are obviously afraid, because they know that they will not win. At least they don't want to take that risk. They know that it will be proven to them that with knowledge they are harassing and criminally extorting money from innocent victims. Extortion is a criminal offence. There is not such a thing as legalized extortion. There either is extortion or there isn't. If innocent people are suffering because of what they do, this practice must be outlawed in the USA as promptly as possible just as it is done in the UK and other countries.

I have a valid point. It is not a time to debate feelings. Oscar is a lawyer, not a weak girl whose feelings can be easily hurt. It is very important to concentrate on finding a solution to prevent these companies from praying on the innocent. Thousands of people would be grateful if Oscar himself sent few complaint letters to the Attorney General in NY asking them to investigate Masterfile (which is the easiest target due to their actions) and offered his evidence upon the government's request.

7

Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Masterfile, Getty and others act like a dumb farmer. US courts too dumb to see.

« on: August 20, 2011, 06:52:30 PM »

@Nigel Tuffnail, @Newzshooter:
You are not a farmer, you are one of the greedy photographers who can't make money selling pictures, so you decided to post them all over the internet and entrap people.

Farmers are very smart actually. The initial post is an illustration of a dumb photographer/stock image company behavior. Farmers don't wait for people outside of a restaurant to charge them for tomatoes they ate.

I own enough professional equipment and have taken enough pictures to call myself a professional photographer as well. I had my own dark room and all equipment that comes with it ages ago. Have taken photos that you likely never will.

The difference is that I did not become one of you crooks that entrap people and extort $1000's from them for photos that they would never buy anyway, or sue them for $150,000.
As you can see not every photographer needs to be a crook like yourself!

If I dont want my pictures taken without permission, I don't put them on the internet. If I do, I put a copyright sign on them.

Go get a real job if you can't make money selling your pictures! This is the solution to your problem!

8

Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Masterfile, Getty and others act like a dumb farmer. US courts too dumb to see.

« on: August 20, 2011, 06:32:53 PM »

@Newzshooter:
You are going against Company CEO's people that are 100 times smarter and clever than you. Do you really think that you can outsmart them with your lawsuits? How many of those lawsuits won actually resulted in payments? do you think somebody will pay you $20,000 for your lame picture? even if you win the judgment in court? It is cheaper and easier to just file for bankruptcy and open another company next month. Do you think that we will let you get away with it once we know that someone like you forced us to do that? You are terribly mistaken!

@Newzshooter and @Nigel ...
Let me get this...

So you bought a camera, walk around and take pictures, then you Photoshop them. If this is what your profession is?, do you really think you have what it takes to go against the big boys? Do you think the CEOs are so dumb that they will be giving you company stock because you want it? I am not surprised at your imagination. You are a photographer!

You should make your own website and advertise your pictures there for sale to see if anyone buys them for a reasonable price. Hey, that won't be enough money for you to live right? because selling pictures for $20 is not enough and nobody will pay $100 for it either, so you thought: "..wait a minute I got an idea, how about I do what Getty or Masterfile does. I register bunch of my pictures with the Copyright Office, and put them on a website, get Google index them, then there will be many people from around the world copying the pictures and putting them on their websites. It is even better if some international people take them, it will give even more exposure for my images and even more people will copy them. Then, the Americans (your country man by the way, traitor!) will take them and put it on their websites. Then I can sue them here where I had them registered with the US Copyright Office. That is brilliant!!! Why didn't I came up with that earlier!!! I am so smart! Im going to sue everyone for $150000 per photo because they are criminals and thieves because they used my photo, hahaha... I'm gonna get shares of companies, Im going to be rich because the stock will go high!!! (think Mr. Pit from Seinfeld episode:).."

So is that your business plan? How far do you think you will go with that? You came to this forum for what? To convince everyone that it is the right thing what you do? and tell us that we are all thieves and criminals and someone should pay you $20000 for your lame picture because you entrapped him? You came to a wrong place. Better get a real job and earn honest living like others in the society instead of praying on others. Go get a job! (if someone hires you, because I would never hire you if I knew that you sued someone for a picture on a website!)..

It used to be fingers found in Wendy's burgers, slip and fall.. now we have this! and the worst thing is that many individual innocent people or small entrepreneurs are attacked by those like you. How will the US economy grow if we have such disgruntled citizens and faulty legal system!

You said: "My small photography business is failing or failed before..." So what? Start another business, do something else if you can't live from selling your photos... Nothing lasts forever. We all need to adjust to changing economic and business climate.

Today everyone has a digital camera. I myself have Canon EOS 5D Mark II and many tele and wide angle lenses and I consider myself a professional when it comes to photography. I even had my own dark room years ago. I have taken tens of thousands of pictures of nature, mountains, wildlife. But I am not going to put it on the internet because I know that as soon as I do, someone will take it and I will never be able to stop that. This is just a human nature and no law in the world will ever prevent it. You, Masterfile, Getty and other crooks know about that and made this their primary business to sue entrapped people all over the world for their livelihoods.

With my vast photo collection, I could easily do the same, but I won't because I would not be able to live with myself knowing that I am destroying other people lives and close small family owned businesses with some nasty lawsuits just because there is a law that allows me to do that.

How can you be so damn greedy? You should go to church once in a while and pray for yourself because you are going straight to hell as of now!

9

Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Masterfile, Getty and others act like a dumb farmer. US courts too dumb to see.

« on: August 18, 2011, 12:02:30 AM »

I noticed your other post about suing to get a share in a company. LOL. Please update us how it worked for you. You sound very greedy and you should adjust your expectations or perhaps think of another profession if you want to make a lot of money. Making money from suing people is not a business model for a "small business". Because of people like you others are suffering. You will pay for it when the time comes.

10

Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Masterfile people responsible for your miseries

« on: August 17, 2011, 11:54:22 PM »

Steve PIGeon, Masterfile CEO makes all the money from it. Does anyone think of something else when they look at his last name or is it just me?

11

Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Masterfile - in need of urgent advice

« on: August 17, 2011, 11:38:41 PM »

Just because Oscar says it, it does not mean that the Judge will accept sworn statements from Masterfile against little person like you Katrina.

If the image is not on the CD it is not part of the compilation and it is not registered period. The Muensch chase will apply here because there will be no way of knowing whether or not each image on the CD was properly identified with the artist name. Any sworn statements will not prove it beyond any reasonable doubt and therefore will not be accepted by the judge or jury.

Here is a hypotetical scenario:

The judge ask Masterfile: Where is your evidence of registration?

Masterfile will say: Here, on the application..we list all artists right here.

Judge: Ok, where are the pictures?

Masterfile: All pictures are on CDs that we sent to the Library of Congress.

Judge: Lets see the pictures. Lets see if they have been properly named because we don't like images registered in compilations. Compilation works consiting of pictures that cannot be identified by the artist name make the registration invalid. Please put the CD into a computer now. I want to see the pictures.

Masterfile: Actually, Sorry your Honor, the CD's dont work and we can't see any of the images, but we swear that they were there.

Your Lawyer: My client swears too that he/she had no reason to belive that the image was copyrighted and therefore it is an innocent infringement.

Judge to Masterfile: Well.. We Masterfile we can't just take your word for it. We don't even know if the picture you claim is on the CD let alone confirm valid registration (Muenuch case).

Masterfile: But your honor, all the pictures were there on the CD.

Judge: Given the incomplete evidence of proper registration of individual images and inability to confirm existance of those images, I rule the registration invalid.

Judge continues: Given that we have lack of registration and the defendant innocent infringement, the amount awarded to Masterfile is $200 per image. No statutory damages and legal costs are owed to Masterfile.

You pay $200, go home, celebrate and blog about it.

12

Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Class Action Lawsuit Against Masterfile.

« on: August 17, 2011, 10:47:34 PM »

Oscar is a great man and I am very grateful to him that he is here. Oscar is also a laywer and not a weak girl who can easily get hurt. We are talking here about a very serious problem and a great damage inflicted upon the society and small businesses by greedy corporations, therefore the essence of the matter takes the priority.

Oscar is in possession of hundreds if not near a thousand of extortion letters that he has collected for the past several years and keeps collecting every day. These letters can serve as evidence of extortion for profit. He is/has represented hundreds of cases when the infringement was clearly innocent, but Masterfile and others continued to extorting 1000's for one image. He can take all of the clearly innocent infringement cases, compile them as a huge EXHIBIT A and show to the US courts that the laws in the United States should be amended to first require cease and desist notice and if the infringer refuses, apply penalties and other punitive measures. Otherwise many innocent single moms with blogs or mom and pop small businesses are unfairly tormented by this. In the UK and most of the civilized World, laws protect the innocent, but not in the USA. A change in the law, depending on how it is done might allow for a class lawsuit by those that paid 1000's and were innocent. All future victims would be protected as well.

For example:

This is in the UK:

The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (c. 48)
“97.—(1) Where in an action for infringement of copyright it is shown that at the time of the infringement the defendant did not know, and had no reason to believe, that copyright subsisted in the work to which the action relates, the plaintiff is not entitled to damages against him, but without prejudice to any other remedy.”

“It is an offence under Section 40 of the Administration of Justice Act 1970 and Section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act 1988 to harass of debtors with a view to obtaining payment including the issue of letters which convey a threat or false information with intent to cause distress or anxiety.”

UK Copyright Troll lawyers sanctioned:

"..We had noted that Davenport Lyons lawyers were being investigated by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal for their actions, which has now concluded with the two lawyers being fined £20,000 each and barred from practicing law for three months. Part of the issue was that the tribunal determined that the lawyers knew they were targeting innocent people with the scheme."

Full article:
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110803/02192515373/uk-copyright-trolling-pioneers-sanctioned-actions.shtml

Because of this website and his involvement, Oscar is sitting on a big pile of evidence against the Copyright Trolls. Given a proper strategy, he can file a class action lawsuit for multiple causes including: extortion, blackmail, harassment, emotional distress, mail fraud, wire fraud etc..

But because it is easier to just collect $195 per letter and can be quite profitable if you have 1000 cases and more every month, he won't do it and will be telling everyone that what they do is legal and that he and nobody else can't do anything about that and that "the Copyright Trolls are here to stay". Not to mention that once in a while Oscar can make 1000's if bigger case goes to court. Oscar a defense lawyer on the side of infringers is profiting from the Copyright Troll abuse. It is well deserved but at some point Oscar should fire back and contribute to changing the laws in the USA instead of just sitting on this evidence and not doing anything but profiting from the abuse together with the Copyright Trolls and their lawyers.

Most if not all of the victims that are willing to share their correspondence and information do it through this website and many hire Oscar because of his advertising here and cheaper fee for a bulk response letter. They don't go anywhere else because of this website. The evidence collected should not just go wasted and should be used collectively to change the copyright laws in the USA to make them similar to UK and the rest of the civilized world. Oscar has the evidence. He needs to concentrate, make a good plan and strategy and fire back.

Oscar could easily write a letter to the Attorney General in New York telling them that he has all the evidence of extortion, blackmail, harassment etc.. available upon request, explain what is happening and recommend changes to the laws. Attorney General of New York would listen. Oscar could ask the AG to investigate Masterfile how they conduct their business. They would investigate them. Masterfile is the worst and will be the first one to go. Oscar, why don't you want to do that? Please help the people. Yes, you can! Yes, it is possible! Yes, it can be done! and Yes, the AG would most likely sanction Masterfile to limit their abuse. This would set the precedent to change the laws and protect innocent infringers in the USA.

In fact, this is what all the innocent infringers should do. Write to the AG all over the USA and ask to investigate Masterfile. Tell them all that you know and point to this website as reference. Instead of writing letters to the scumbags to negotiate, write to the Attorney General. Your time will be better used.

The last question is: Why is the name of this website "Extortion Letter"? Why Masterfile or Getty does not file a lawsuit against this website for libel, defamation and damage to their business? Why? This website hurts their profits, because people refuse to pay after getting educated. The Trolls are obviously afraid, because they know that they will not win. At least they don't want to take that risk. They know that it will be proven to them that with knowledge they are harassing and criminally extorting money from innocent victims. Extortion is a criminal offence. There is not such a thing as legalized extortion. There either is extortion or there isn't. If innocent people are suffering because of what they do, this practice must be outlawed in the USA as promptly as possible just as it is done in the UK and other countries.

I have a valid point. It is not a time to debate feelings. Oscar is a lawyer, not a weak girl whose feelings can be easily hurt. It is very important to concentrate on finding a solution to prevent these companies from praying on the innocent. Thousands of people would be grateful if Oscar himself sent few complaint letters to the Attorney General in NY asking them to investigate Masterfile (which is the easiest target due to their actions) and offered his evidence upon the government's request.

13

Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Class Action Lawsuit Against Masterfile.

« on: August 12, 2011, 12:01:13 AM »

Oscar will not be the one to take down the Trolls. He does not have what it takes to do it, or does not want to, although he has the opportunity and is able to collect the evidence from multiple victims.
You, the victim, need to be showing this website with testimonials to other lawyers. One of them will be smart and willing to destroy them.

Oscar is making money from writing his letters at no stress. I don't believe Oscar wants these companies to disappear. He is making money on it just as they do. Sorry Oscar. The site was Matthew's idea. Matthew is the real fighter. Please, build the case Oscar and bring the companies down. Stop people suffering.

We don't want to see responses such as: "No, it cant be done, what they do is legal, its the way they do it is not right". Phishing, Extortion and targeting innocent people is not legal. Blackmail is not legal. Lying about licensing costs of the images is not legal. Company like Masterfile's entire business model is about phishing, extortion via blackmail and lies/fraud. This company needs to be stopped and their actors prosecuted before tens of thousands people become victimized in the next two years alone.

Mr. Oscar, I respect you and I challenge you, We challenge you. Stop these bastards! They can't do it in UK, they shouldn’t be allowed in USA.

14

UK Getty Images Letter Forum / UK Courts Going After Copyright Trollers. It is time US Courts wake up finally!

« on: August 11, 2011, 11:48:31 PM »

Masterfile lawyers incl. Steven Weinberg should be suspended just as UK lawyers.

"Some lawyers from UK law firm Davenport Lyons really pioneered the copyright trolling shakedown scheme. Davenport Lyons got out of the business after questions were raised about its activities, though it passed on the effort (and documents it used) directly to ACS:Law, the law firm that really took the practice to a new level. We had noted that Davenport Lyons lawyers were being investigated by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal for their actions, which has now concluded with the two lawyers being fined £20,000 each and barred from practicing law for three months. Part of the issue was that the tribunal determined that the lawyers knew they were targeting innocent people with the scheme."

Here is the direct link:
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110803/02192515373/uk-copyright-trolling-pioneers-sanctioned-actions.shtml

Write a letter to the Attorney General and your representatives to disbar or suspend Steven Weinberg and others. He is targetting innocent people with full knowledge.

15

Getty Images Letter Forum / Mission Accomplished --> Paid ZERO dollars in settlement to Masterfile.

« on: August 11, 2011, 11:35:41 PM »

C'mon people it is really simple

You get a letter from Masterfile --> delete images; ignore all payment requests

you get any more letters form Masterfile --> ignore
you get a letter/email from collection agency --> ignore
you get a call from collection agency --> get an answering machine and ignore

Ignore, ignore, ignore. never pay.

There will be those that will respond and say: NO! You need to talk to them, negotiatie, give them an offer etc.. Then you go and pay them $600, $900, $1500, $3000 for some dumb image that you never needed and they would never sell otherwise. Im sure they will be happy, but dont expect any gratitude. Why are you wasting your time here if you are so fearful? To get educated? Ok, you got educated and what now? you will be paranoid? Just ignore it and forget it. Never pay a penny to those crooks. They will go hungry and die before you know it. Don't feed them!