As we know, copyright infringement is something to be taken very seriously, and receiving a copyright violation email could potentially cause you to worry. However, we’ve recently seen several instances where third parties are contacting website admins, asking them to add specific, often fabricated, attributes to stock images. It’s a subtle but significant form of manipulation that can have unforeseen consequences. Below, we provide tips on how to identify and protect your website from this deceptive practice, and explore why these requests happen.
Intellectual Property Attribution
Often, an email is received from a legitimate business, claiming that an image on a client’s website needs to be correctly attributed. The emails may go something similar to this…
“We’re reaching out on behalf of the Intellectual Property division of a notable entity, in relation to an image connected to our client [client name].
Image Reference: [link to image]
Image Placement: [link to a page on your website]
We’ve observed the display of the image on your site. We need you to add credit to our client immediately. A visible and clickable link to [site name] is required. This should be addressed in the next five business days.
We’re sure you realize the urgency of this request. Kindly understand that simply removing the image does not conclude the matter.”
Whilst these emails are from legitimate businesses, and aren’t usually phishing for money, they are often untrustworthy and are not related to the creator of the image itself. In the above example, our client had a stock image displayed on their website, and upon logging into our stock image provider’s website, we found evidence that the image did not in fact need to be attributed or linked elsewhere. Unfortunately, the third party that had contacted us were simply trying to increase their backlinks, by scaremongering website admins into believing that they were wrongly using stock images.
How to Spot a Scam
If you’re unsure if an email is from a legitimate source, there are a number of simple actions you can take before you spend valuable time gathering evidence and replying:
- Check the reply-to and from addresses look legitimate.
- Search for the company on Companies House.
- Examine the grammar and spelling to ensure they are correct.
- Crucially,, check the link they want you to add as attribution – if it is linking to a competitor website or one within a similar industry to you, this is the strongest evidence that the sender is looking to gain backlinks to that website. Genuine attribution would be to the website of the photographer who took the image, or a stock photography website.
If you are still unsure whether the email is legitimate, it is best to promptly respond with your evidence refuting their claim. Once provided, the third party will usually just go silent or send back an email ‘closing the case’.
- Login to your stock photography website account if you sourced the image in-house, and screenshot the download/purchase information. This is usually sufficient.
- Contact your web designer or marketing team for evidence from their account if they sourced the image for you.
Lawful Image Sourcing
Proper and lawful image sourcing in the first place is essential, as well as doing your due diligence should you receive an email similar to the above in the future.
Our guide to correct image sourcing practices
Image Attributions
Although some sites will require you to attribute or credit the creator, for example FreePik free plan requires you to credit the creator by including a linked caption or respective code, this will be explicitly stated when downloading the image. Therefore you should not have to credit any other sources.
It is your responsibility to check if an image that you use needs attribution.
How to Avoid Copyright Infringement
Copyright is everybody’s responsibility. A few reputable image sourcing websites include Adobe Stock, iStock, Shutterstock and Unsplash.
Ballyhoo Content Support
When Ballyhoo builds your website or supports you with your marketing efforts, we will often source a number of images for your websites securely and using best practices.
If you’re interested in a new website, or redesign of your existing website, contact us now to discuss your requirements.
Disclaimer
The information provided in this post is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute professional legal advice. While we strive to provide accurate insights into copyright best practices, we are not legal professionals. We strongly recommend that you consult with a qualified legal expert before taking action regarding copyright infringement or licensing matters.
