Protective Steps to Protect Yourself from Copyright Trolls

From time to time, we hear reports of some small business websites including newspaper websites receiving letters from alleged copyright reps/owners claiming that the sites have posted unauthorized images.

These letters have in the past typically been sent from large companies purveying stock images, in particular Getty Images, but recently other claimants have joined the action (e.g., adlife and their legal representatives, etc.) and this has become a sort of cottage industry by certain sectors of the plaintiffs’ bar.

Here is a short memo that highlights the problem, steps to lessen the chance of receiving such a letter, and action that to mitigate the effects if one is received.