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How long after sending Infringement Notice to Alamy to check progress?


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I had a zoom on 14 August 2015 and the image appeared on a web site owned by Virgin Media (along with some other Alamy images) on 21 August. When no sale appeared, I sent an infringement notice to Alamy on 8 September. Part of their reply is

 

"It’s now in the system and is being chased. There’s no need to ask us for updates. We’ll be in touch as soon as it’s completed"

 

It's getting close to 6 months down the track - I'm getting a tad impatient....do others chase MS after 6 months or so?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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In the past I've found my images on websites and had to wait about 6 months for the sale to appear in my account even after I've asked Alamy about it. What makes you think it's an infringement? They must have an account with Alamy in order for the zoom to show up in the stats.

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Thanks for the link Candy, guess I'll wait a bit longer. JohnB, I asked MS and they asked me to fill out the infringement form. I think that's the way they are keeping tabs on unpaid uses these days........

 

I think you may be right. I have a similar case in progress at present: a large UK-based business licensed one image used in December, yet haven't licensed another used last September.  MS also asked me to fill out the infringement form.

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I had a zoom on 14 August 2015 and the image appeared on a web site owned by Virgin Media (along with some other Alamy images) on 21 August. When no sale appeared, I sent an infringement notice to Alamy on 8 September. Part of their reply is

 

"It’s now in the system and is being chased. There’s no need to ask us for updates. We’ll be in touch as soon as it’s completed"

 

It's getting close to 6 months down the track - I'm getting a tad impatient....do others chase MS after 6 months or so?

 

I'm also waiting for judgement on a further clear infringement on a US-based travel Website. ImageRights wanted to pursue this for me last September, but said that they couldn't proceed until and unless Alamy had decided not to pursue of their own accord.  I'm still waiting for Alamy...and I'm not getting any younger... :rolleyes:

 

Personally, I think that the waiting times here for decisions to pursue any likely infringements are unacceptable and unnecessary - why does it take this long, Alamy? :angry:  There are plenty of companies out there touting for this business and ready to act immediately upon notification of pursuable infringements.  I could have another child while waiting for Alamy (via PicScout) to act.  :o 

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I totally agree losdemas. If, as John B rightly points out, they have an account, as the zoom registered, then surely if they don't self bill within 3 months, then Alamy should just send them an invoice....it really can't be that hard can it? 

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I emailed member services on 1st August 2015 to alert then to the details of an infringement where one of their customers appears to have sub-licenced an image to another magazine, outside the terms of the licence they originally purchased which stated "one time use only".

 

I've chased Member Services five times now to find out progress, and just keep getting the "stock response" (no-pun intended) which says our billing team is working on it and we'll get back to you when we have an update.  It's very frustrating.

 

I'll shortly be chasing again as it will be 3 months since my last chase.

 

Why it takes this long is beyond me. Maybe they're overworked...

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I emailed member services on 1st August 2015 to alert then to the details of an infringement where one of their customers appear to have sub-licenced an image outside the terms of the licence they originally purchased which stated "one time use only".

 

I've chased Member Services five times now to find out progress, and just keep getting the "stock response" (no-pun intended) which says our billing team is working on it and we'll get back to you when we have an update.  It's very frustrating.

 

I'll shortly be chasing again as it will be 3 months since my last chase.

 

Why it takes this long is beyond me. Maybe they're overworked...

"Maybe they're overworked..."

 

That's one generous interpretation, I can think of other suggestions too!

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Hi All

 

May be I'm being simple - but how do you manage to trace an image, other than through pot luck?

 

I don't as yet have a big collection, and regularly get zooms which don't translate into sales - I know that this isn't always the case, but thought I'd try to search for the images that I know haven't had recognised sales. I once found a thumbnail sized image of mine in a well known, now defunct Sunday paper, and chased them successfully, but it was just luck that I saw it.

 

Any help always appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

Martin

 

www.windmillskies.com

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You could take the photos that have been zoomed on Alamy, and do a Google image search on those zoomed images, or try Tineye. I also have alerts set up on TalkWalker alerts (it's free) which sends me an e-mail whenever "my name/Alamy" appears anywhere on the web.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I emailed member services on 1st August 2015 to alert then to the details of an infringement where one of their customers appears to have sub-licenced an image to another magazine, outside the terms of the licence they originally purchased which stated "one time use only".

 

I've chased Member Services five times now to find out progress, and just keep getting the "stock response" (no-pun intended) which says our billing team is working on it and we'll get back to you when we have an update.  It's very frustrating.

 

I'll shortly be chasing again as it will be 3 months since my last chase.

 

Why it takes this long is beyond me. Maybe they're overworked...

 

I just chased Member Services again. It's now 7 months since I raised the potential infringement with them and almost 12 months since the image in question was published. I got a little bit more information from MS this time. "Our Billing team has contacted the customer and they’re awaiting for the usage confirmation from them". So that's some progress... I'll keep you posted.

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  • 2 weeks later...

An up date on this. I contacted MS, here is their reply. Interesting to read they have an agency chasing at least some infringements, lets hope it means a bigger fee can be collected. As there were other Alamy images used on the web site, lets hope they chase fees for all of them as well.

 

"Our Infringement team is already on this case.

As the process is handled by a third party agency, it might take a bit longer. We'll let you know as soon as it's completed."
 

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An up date on this. I contacted MS, here is their reply. Interesting to read they have an agency chasing at least some infringements, lets hope it means a bigger fee can be collected.

Good luck with that.

I'm waiting for over 20 infringements to be resolved from the Usual Suspect in these non-reporting cases.

The last time I reported them, it was for a file which had been used over two years previously, and not reported/paid for.

I did get a payment, but it was for much less than it would have been at the time it was used. I questioned this and was told it's "Alamy Policy".

I can't understand that policy at all. They don't pay, hoping they won't be caught, and if they do, they'll pay less than they would have paid for it had they reported it at the time they used it.

No wonder I now have >20 unreported usages with them.

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