Has anyone ever received a copyright infringement letter from Getty Images?

Question

I just received a letter from getty images saying that I have 2 photos on my website that do not have valid licenses. My web designer downloaded these as a free promotional 6yrs ago. I immediately took them off my site, however they want to charge me $1200 per photo used and take action within 14 days. Anyone here seek legal advice for this situation?

thanks for the info. coragryph. I am definitely seeking legal counsel, and as far as I know, there is no copyright on these photos, as I have checked through the copyright library of congress and nothing came up on the author's names.

Answer 1

You need to consult a licensed attorney, who can analyze the details of your situation to determine the probable outcome.

But, from the facts presented, it looks like either you or the web-designer might have committed unintentional infringement, which is actionable. However, if the photograph was not registered with the copyright office, Getty would need to prove actual harm -- loss of revenue that they would have gotten otherwise -- and that's unlikely.