Urgent advice needed

Image Licence Enquiry for Press Association Images (case reference number: OKA2UL)

I’ve received two emails recently, of this type. They’re looking for £1 200 for just two images.

Naively, I may have used more in the past.

Does anyone have any advice for me?

Press Association <fairlicensing@pamediagroup.com>10:40 AM (40 minutes ago)
to me

To whom it may concern,

We are contacting you regarding the use of our imagery on your website thoughtcontrolscotland.com. We don’t have any record of our content being licensed for this use. This email outlines the situation and the steps you need to take to resolve the matter.

Use of PA Media Images
PA Media is the national news agency for the UK and Ireland. We own the copyright to images taken by our photographers. We have noticed that you are currently using 2 image(s) from our collection on your website thoughtcontrolscotland.com.

Here are the details of our imagery and the use(s) found:

Licensing
All PA images must be licensed before use. If your organisation does have a valid licence, please upload it via our case portal (details below). If we’ve contacted you in error, please accept our apologies. By sending us the licence, we can close the case.

If you don’t have a licence, your use of our imagery would constitute an infringement of our copyright, and you need to take action to resolve this situation.

Solution
You need to purchase a licence to cover your use by using our case portal on fairlicensing.pamediagroup.com here:

19 thoughts on “Urgent advice needed”

  3. From ChatGTP:

    3. B may be an option.

    In the UK, copyright law gives strong protection to the creators of original works, including photographs. If you’ve used photographs from the internet without proper permission, and a copyright enforcement company is now pursuing you for payment, you do have options—but your course of action depends on the specifics of your situation.

    Here’s an outline of your options under UK law:

    ⸻

    1. Check the Legitimacy of the Claim
    • Who is the claimant? Is it a known copyright enforcement agency (like Pixsy or ImageRights) or a law firm? Some companies operate on a speculative invoicing model—sending out demands in bulk hoping people will pay up.
    • Do they represent the copyright holder? Ask them for:
    • Proof of copyright ownership.
    • The registration (if applicable).
    • Chain of title if the image has been transferred between companies.

    ⸻

    2. Assess Your Usage
    • Where was the image used? Was it on a blog, social media, commercial website, etc.?
    • Was it clearly marked as copyright-free or Creative Commons? If you believed the image was free to use, keep records/screenshots.
    • Did you remove the image immediately upon notice? That can reduce damages.

    ⸻

    3. Consider a Defence or Negotiation

    You may have defences or mitigating circumstances:

    A. Innocent Infringement (Limited Defence)
    • Under UK law, if you can prove you did not know and had no reason to believe the work was infringing (e.g. you got it from a site claiming free use), the court may award no damages—but still could order the use to stop.

    B. Fair Dealing (Unlikely for Photos)
    • UK fair dealing is narrow—applying to things like criticism, review, news reporting, or education. It usually doesn’t apply to the general use of images online.

    C. Negotiation
    • Many agencies will settle. If the amount seems high, you can:
    • Ask for a detailed breakdown of the fee (license cost, admin, etc.).
    • Offer a lower settlement (especially if you took the image down immediately).
    • Seek legal advice or have a solicitor respond—this sometimes reduces the amount quickly.

    ⸻

    4. Do Not Ignore It
    • If you ignore the claim, it could escalate:
    • Some companies will pursue small claims court action (especially if the image was used commercially).
    • This could result in court fees and interest being added if you lose.

    ⸻

    5. Seek Legal Advice
    • Especially if the amount is large or you’re unsure if the claim is valid.
    • You can speak to:
    • A solicitor.
    • Citizens Advice Bureau.
    • IP clinics run by law schools (some offer free IP advice).
    • ACID (Anti Copying in Design) or CopyrightUser.org for general guidance.

    Liked by 2 people

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  6. I’ve not seen the images but removing them should be the remedy now that they have brought it to your attention. I would have thought “fair use” would apply in a blog or article quoting small paragraphs for reference.

    But as ArtyHetty says, let us know if you need help with costs.

    Liked by 6 people

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  9. Tried looking them up at companies house, all sorts fo stuff comes up including BBC.
    No info on their website about contacting them re use of images, fair use or not etc…it’s a ‘UK and Ireland’ business with many private companies involved.

    Like

    Reply

  11. Well, well, ‘fair use’ laws are now being circumvented – Could this possibly be connected with El Suito having lost all credibility in Scotland before he could embark on his latest campaign sorry ” reporting ” over how wonderful life could be under Anas Sarwar with Disabled Semen Williams as backup, or the State of a Secretary for Greggs despite disappointment over the latest free steakbake…

    Bluntly John, you are being bullied and conned, it would have happened years ago otherwise, but we’ve got your back covered 100%

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  12. John,

    I feel your pain and I understand your being stressed out with this. I had a similar experience and it was very worrying. It has been going on for years.

    Back in 2006 I was doing website design and I was hit with a claim for £2,400 from an international law firm called Baker and MacKenzie. This was for the use of a tiny wee shopping cart icon. They were doing this on behalf of Corbis and it was on a worldwide scale. It became known as Getty images extortion case. (Corbis and Getty images were doing the same thing).

    I did not pay. At the time I got a law firm down south to send them a letter. They continued to threaten me after this but I just ignored them and it went away. AFAIK they did not go through with threat by taking anyone to court.

    I can send you a copy of the letter I used and you should be able to formulate your response from this. If you email me I’ll send it by return.

    There’s also a copy of a similar letter that outlines how you should respond here.
    https://www.sitepoint.com/community/t/warning-getty-images-cracking-down/2637/765?page=39

    Liked by 7 people

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