Copyright Aid

Read a lot on here about this company and I have just been contacted demanding £527.00 for using a Reuters image on a blog post I wrote to help a charity raise money for a women and her 2 children after her husband died while playing Rugby.
The post goes back to 2015

It appears the image was taken from a newspaper article about the players death.
Having got the letter that everyone seems to get I removed the post and all other blogs from our site.

Contacted Reuters and picrights but still they are demanding payment even though I have told them it was to raise money to support a family. Totally uninterested and said would reduce fee to 357.00 if paid in 14 days.

As you can see had a sleepless night about this as I was trying to help by posting an event to help fund raise and used the picture.

Phoned PicRights and they just said not interested about why it was on site only that it needs to be paid.

I have 14 days I really need help as morally I can not bring myself to pay there demand

Hi Marke, and welcone to the forum.

Sadly PicRights and Reuters are legally correct that infringement is what is known as a strict liability tort. In plain English this means that your state of knowledge and your motive for using the image have no bearing on liability.

Had you applied for a licence at the time you first needed the image, the charitable nature of its use might have helped you get a reduced fee, but that of course is no help now.

If you have read the other postings here about PicRights, you will know what we recommend you do when it comes to making a counter-offer to settle. I can't really add to what has been said many times on the subject.


Good luck.

Thanks Andy for your reply.
Really is effecting me as they are hounding me for payment.
Tried contacting Reuters but they just bounce it back to PicRights.
I feel I want to go to court and have my say as morally it is wrong.
Saddens me that so many people are in the same boat as me really is depressing when all I have done is try to help someone, you would have thought Reuters would have endorsed it not persecute the little person trying to help.

Still no idea what to do