Warning about COPYTRACK <[email protected]>

Selling on other Platforms
1

Got an e-mail from them this morning.

Had me scratching my head because the only images I use on my site are shopify stock images, images from the manufacturer and my own images.

Did a search and found they are a Scam company. They just send out e-mails claiming that you are using copyrighted imaged and try to get you to pay out.

The sad thing is they can’t even get the format right because in the e-mail they did not name the alleged copyright infringing image.

Request for authorisation to use a copyrighted image on the Internet - Case No.: 78B8F4
Dear The Lunatick Fire and EMS Store,
COPYTRACK has been helping creative people and companies to protect their image copyrights since 2015. As one of the world’s leading companies for digital image licences and copyrights, we have processed over 1 million cases of unlicensed image use to date and subsequently licensed and legally enforced a large number of them.
Our customer, YayImages has commissioned us to support the protection and enforcement of the image rights held in its favour.

According to the information provided to us, you may be using one or more images (hereinafter referred to as the “image material”) in respect of which our customer holds the relevant rights of use and is authorised to enforce them, potentially without a corresponding licence. In particular, no licence could be identified for the following use:
Rights holder YayImages
Image found on https://thelunatickstore.com/
Online Since July 9, 2026
Image used
You may not be aware that the publication of copyright-protected images on a website generally requires the prior consent of the rights holder, as this type of use is likely to constitute reproduction and making available to the public within the meaning of the German Copyright Act (UrhG).

On behalf of our customer, we would first like to establish whether you have the appropriate permission or licence to use the image material. If you have a valid licence to use this image material, please reply by September 9, 2026.

Review: You can view the facts of this case by entering the case ID 78B8F4 at https://portal.copytrack.com
Proof: Send us proof of your licence on the same portal - if it is valid, we will close your case immediately.

Alternatively, please reply to this e-mail and attach appropriate proof (e.g. licence agreement, invoice, etc.). If you do not have a licence, please also contact us so that we can clarify the next steps together.
This enquiry is expressly made without any accusation of a legal infringement and initially only serves to clarify the facts of the case.
If you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.
Yours Sincerely,
COPYTRACK

Oh and Yayimages offers royalty free images and stock photos. Yet they seem to be in on the scam.

2

This has been a common tactic, unfortunately, w/ many BPAs (*Brand Protection Agents/Agencies") for about 30 years now; some BPAs (yes, RedPoints, I’ma lookin’ @ you) have been quite egregious at this for years & years - in the Legal Community, the common vernacular for these types of BPA entities is “IPV mill” (“Intellectual Property Violation”).

I’d never heard of COPYTRACK, so I did a little non-AI searching and found an article - written in impeccable Standard English by a German attorney who received the same sort of notification from them about images used on his law firm’s website - which dovetails exactly with what our legal beagles do to quash spurious notices like these:

3

I stopped using any images other than my own, years ago.

Owning the equipment I need to generate fast high quality images for my offerings makes that no hardship.

Maybe its my age, or maybe its my low opinion of a large segment of mankind, but I often be surrounded by lower life forms who will do anything for a buck. We can all picture whose who we consider lower life forms in the manner we choose.

4

LOL, Even worse, from YayImages:

All Creative images at this site have a Royalty Free license. This license grants you the permission to use the image without restriction to size, circulation, media and the like. The license covers most uses our customers have.

The same image can be a part of a commercial, your web design and your business card. You can use the image for as long as you want. Royalty Free images are an affordable solution without any extra costs added.

They are also based in Germany, and has quite a reputation:

Copytrack faces significant criticism for alleged aggressive tactics, errors in claims, and operating at the edge of legality, particularly regarding its enforcement methods.

The edge of legality is adorable.

They send these letters on behalf of the author of said image rather then on behalf of a law firm or lawyer. They are not a law firm or a lawyer.

Looks like most people get them to GPS by demanding proof that Copytrack holds the license and proof that said image is where they say it is. Considering the fact that they don’t identify an image in the email, it sounds like AI/Bot casting a wide net hoping for payouts, just like the letters in the mail demanding $500 for a “yellowpages” listing.

**This is my opinion and not the opinion of Sellers Ask Sellers. Not legal advise, always consult with your lawyer.

5

That is my opinion as well. I can’t provide any proof of license for nothing. Plus the fact I got 2 back to back messages.

I pulled all stock images from my site and replaced them with my own creations (even a few AI images I had created).