EDIT: I hadn't realized that Getty is the reason for the removal of the view image button! I stand by my comment in general, however I do think removing that button is crappy.
EDIT: They also fraudulently claim to own public domain photos and legally threaten people who use them, demanding payment.
It's definitely not OK that they billed the photographer who took the public domain photos for using them on her own site. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_M._Highsmith#Getty_Image...
That being said, anything published on the web should be free. E.g. if some don't want their image to be used, they should not publish it publicly in the first place.
I mean, maybe you can sue your friend later on, but that's between you and him.
All that matters to me is that you've used my IP without my permision.
[0] https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/3001353/Filed-Com...
I imagine they automate copyright takedown notices, and there was a bug somewhere. It's not great, but I don't believe it was malice.
Are you responding to someone else? Wrong thread? Because I haven't expressed that sentiment here.
> you inherently also have to believe Getty should be allowed to take public domain photos (or someone else's photos) and sell them.
Are you responding to someone else? Wrong thread? Because I never said they shouldn't be allowed to profit off public domain photos.
There is profit, and then there's just fucking people over. $1000 for a photo they didn't take and didn't pay for is just disgusting. All it does is restrict access to historical photos to 99% of the world, allowing only the very rich access to this window into our past.