@SpaceStockFootage: Do not expect to find stolen images. This doesn't happen a lot. In my case, I found no stolen images, except one that I'm not sure about...and this is actually reassuring. Instead, I found out many places where my images are used (images purchased through stock agencies). For example, I found that one of my pictures is used in a book! This is great! A nice book too! I then made sure that I've actually sold this picture through a stock agency and after confirming this, it just made me happy! Other examples: one of my images found in an article on the Tampa Bay Times website (with the iStockphoto.com mention under the image). So I know it's not stolen and this makes me happy to see my picture is used in a newspaper. One last example: One of my pictures of dandelions is used on a packaging for weed killer...I didn't know that before using picmatch, but now I know, and it is great! This is only 3 examples, I found a bunch more...

Picmatch is a tool to build your client list, not to sue people!

I'm pretty sure you would find mostly nice surprises, which will make you happy, instead of making you depressed.

This might be a feel good service, but I sell through agencies under agreements that would not allow me to solicit their customers directly.   And I would need a payback from recoveries to exceed the cost of the service, which I do not think this would do. 

My editorial stuff does OK there. 

Raw files or reference images should be good proof-but I wouldn't turn them over to thieves!   Is it enough of an issue money-wise to consult an attorney?

Many of us are not, but if you want to you can't ftp.  You have to upload through their site or use 3rd-party software, like Sean said above.

Quote from: ShadySue on November 02, 2016, 07:44

Quote from: spacedrone808 on November 02, 2016, 07:38

Delete your profiles. You can't do this?
There is another solution: delete your profiles.
Or another one: delete your profiles.

Use the correct terminology: I presume you are urging 'delete your portfolios'.

Though terminating your contract would be the best way to go to get all the money you're due.

That's true. It's better to contact their support to close your account. This way you will receive the money in your balance even though it's not yet $100.

They can keep my 56 cents :-)   Perhaps they need it more than I do!

I was trying to get some sort of insight here as it has been useful in the past, but I guess without disclosing all the information and the importance and coverage of their campaign would be hard to do. Official attorney letter is leaving today, I'll keep posted about the result :p

I hope it goes well for you.  This sounds really outrageous!

Invest in an index fund, retire from my day job, and start a travel photography business.  My goal would be to keep losses down enough that I wouldn't run out of money before I die.  I'd have to be at the $500K end of the range.   

But overall eyeem is so niche and so special it will always be my fun hobby experiment place, not a traditional stock agency.

Absolutely agree!  I haven't had a sale there yet, but I love having a small market to experiment with and not have it show up on my "real" ports.  It also gives me a place to play with DOF and other more "arty" shots.

This hasn't happened to me that I know of, but I wouldn't be happy if it did.   With wild life and plant shots, I always take the time to try to locate the Latin species name because some buyers might look for it and I feel it gives me a wee bit of a competitive advantage for some searches.  For some shots, that takes a bit of effort and I wouldn't like to do it for nothing.

My editorial footage does pretty well on SS and P5. It's not immediate "current news" type of editorial footage though. I haven't worked with any Getty company since 2009 so I'm not sure about that.

Are you willing to share what type of editorial you do?

I would respond that IS my earnings because it is a use for which I should have been paid but was not.  I don't feel your analogy holds here.

Quote from: Irina Anosova on October 07, 2016, 05:36

Quote from: Ink on October 07, 2016, 05:27

Any ideas of what to do next?

I suggest you to go shooting next. It's better to focus on your own earning instead of persistently put down somebody else's.

I think that's a bit unfair. Everyone has to follow the rules, and if somebody isn't following the rules, then that's not on. Another rule on a lot of sites, is that you can't use items for certain uses if you've only bought a regular license rather than an extended license. If you found out a buyer of one of your items was doing so... how would you feel if support told you that you should focus on your earnings rather than worrying about such stuff like that?

Oh gosh, if you hate it why bother?     I mean, some people will eventually make a living, but I do that in my day job already.  And if you want to get rich at this, well it's a lot of work and a lot of risk and probably will not happen.   If I didn't enjoy it, I wouldn't do it.