Hi, is anybody having a problem with a company called Masterfile ? I bought a load of images of them a few years ago to try out some styles but never used them. Now some hotshot attorneys are squeezing me for a whole lot of money. I am not sure what to do. Is there a way of fighting this action?
You never "buy" photos from Masterfile. They are in the licensing business. The terms of your agreement with Masterfile specifies what you can do with the photos. Anything else is copyright infringement. If you are using photos you licensed in a manner permitted by your license agreement, then you just need to convince them of that fact. If not, then you need to try to negotiate a settlement with them. It can get very expensive. There are some defenses, or at least ways to reduce the damages, but you need to have a good copyright attorney if you want to get anywhere. Either that, or file for bankruptcy, since they can't get money you don't have.