Getty Images

[Turkish]

Hi,

We started our business 3 years ago, a football shop in Norfolk. We paid to have a website built, which I updated.

Whilst updating, I added a very small picture that was going to be at the top of a sub catagory of the 'goalkeeping' section. I looked on Google images and chose a picture with , yes...... a goalkeeper on it?

Up until a few months ago, everything was fine until we received a letter from Getty Images saying that we had to pay over 2k for using one of their images unbeknown to me?

This image wasn't watermarked or marked with their image rights on?

Being new to business, I thought this would be ok as it had no financial gain on our part, just purely cosmetic for our website.

I have seeked legal advice from our solicitor and he said they couldn't pluck a figure out the air and demand we pay it, so ignore it and hope they go away? He said they would need to explain their financial loss that the image has cost them?

We did but they haven't gone away?? Getty Images have passed it on to a debt collecting service in the UK.

I'm getting a bit concerned as this could effectively close our business!

Can anyone help or give some much needed advice please?

Thanks

[Mr. Knowitall]

They don't have to include a watermark in order to claim copyright.

Unfortunately, I don't know U.K. intellectual property law, and this is a U.S.-centered forum, so your better bet is to go with the advice of your solicitor.