This evening I discovered a bunch of my images being used in a slideshow and available for download on a website that I did not grant permission to use. Still trying to figure out how they got images WITHOUT watermark.
The images are registered with eco
a. Do I send a takedown letter to the site contact and follow up with their web hosting company?
b. Do I send a takedown letter *AND* a google invoice for usage, then submit for collections when they don't pay?
c.
I doubt these knuckleheads have $
Thanks!
(here is the takedown letter I have, and believe I ripped it off from photocamel but don't know who the original author is.. and these folks ripped off around 45 images of mine.. will it work or is it too harsh?)
Unauthorized Use of Photos
Dear Mr. RatBastardThief,
It has come to my attention that you have made an unauthorized use of my copyrighted work entitled Images2008 (the "Work") in the preparation of a work derived therefrom. I have reserved all rights in the Work, which was first published in August 2008 on xxxxxxx.com and I have registered the copyright. Your website main slideshow, which appears at
www.xxxxxxx.com, is essentially identical to the Work and clearly used the Work as it's basis. In addition, identical images of the Work have been made available free of charge as a download under your xxxxxxxx.com GALLERY link.
You neither asked for nor received permission to use the Work as the basis for xxxxxxx.com nor to make or distribute copies of it. Therefore, I believe you have willfully infringed my rights under 17 USC Section 101, et seq. and could be liable for statutory damages as high as $100,000. I demand that you immediately cease the use and distribution of all infringing works derived from the Work, and all copies of it, and destroy such copies immediately, and that you desist from this or any other infringement of my rights in the future.
If I have not received an affirmative response from you by close of business (5 pm Pacific Standard Time) on Monday January 26, 2008 indicating that you have fully complied with these requirements, I shall consider taking the full legal remedies available to rectify this situation.
Sincerely,