This post serves as an index of my history and posts that detail events with Copytrack/WENN Rights International Ltd. Currently, this article is being wrapped up, formatted, and cleaned up. This will be my final post on my experiences handling two false claims against the same image by Copytrack, who represented Wenn. Unless they decided to do it again on another image, which, given the market I am in, I am surprised it took this long.
Content about these two companies unrelated to my experience can be found below the timeline.
For my recommendation on how to respond to them: Coming Soon
January 2, 2024 – First Claim
How Copytrack stumbled onto a guy who gets a dopamine fix writing this stuff
Copytrack sent their first claim – case starting with 4.
My response: “I am going to call bullshit, as that is a screenshot of an embedded video. The channel where the video comes from would own that image. ”
To see a more detailed experience from January 2nd to 11th – Click here
January 3, 2024
Copytrack sends a follow-up email to intimidate.
As I close my experience and review email, I find this email sent the day after. Not a response to my response.
Dear Sir or Madam,
As the domain owner, you are responsible for the content posted on your platform. We have discovered unauthorized usage of copyrighted materials, resulting in significant damages to our client.
If you possess a valid license or authorization for the materials, kindly provide proof of permission, such as an invoice from the Agency or written permission indicating the image’s authorized use.
If you are unable to provide the required proof, we insist on immediate compensation to our client. Payment can be securely processed using your unique Case ID through this link: https://portal.
copytrack.com/. We hope for an amicable resolution. However, non-cooperation may necessitate involving our partner lawyers, leading to higher settlement costs. Our goal is to achieve fairness while protecting our client’s rights and interests.
For any clarifications or payment discussions, please contact me within this email conversation.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Yours faithfully,
Legal Department
This is a clear attempt to intimidate for payment, as the first line insinuates unauthorized use: “We have discovered unauthorized usage of copyrighted materials, resulting in significant damages to our client.” This assumes the person they contacted does not have use and that it belongs to their client.
January 4, 2024
Second Claim – Same image
Copytrack sends their second claim against the same image—a case starting with a B. I did not respond, thinking it was the same case, and I was waiting for a response from the first contact.
Note: It was not until creating this timetable and examining emails that I realized the second claim was not sent on the 11th. This will explain a contradiction of dates on previous posts if I do not find them.
January 6, 2024
First Reminder
Copytrack sends out 1st reminder on – the case starting with a 4 – I do not respond; I am still waiting for my first contact’s response.
January 7, 2024
I contacted them by their contact form in regard to Case starting with 4, providing proof that it was not Wenn’s property. I thought maybe my email went to a nonmonitored account.
January 8, 2024
Copytrack responds to my email – a prepared response that does not address what was written in my email. I responded by asking for someone to read and not send invalid prepared responses.
January 9, 2024
Copytrack sends 2nd reminder – case starting with 4 – I responded that I had provided proof. – No response back to me.
Dear Sir / Madam,
You did not contact us in order to clarify the situation regarding the claim 4*REDACTED*.
We are still waiting to receive proof of your license or payment in order to close this claim and compensate our client for the copyright infringement.
Visit us at https://portal.copytrack.com/ to follow our requests.
Best regards,
Legal Department
COPYTRACK GmbH
I responded back, asking them to read what I had sent.
January 10, 2024
I contacted the client, Wenn.
I decided to contact WENN Rights International Ltd directly. Not knowing there were two cases with the same image.
January 11, 2024
Copytrack resent claim – case starting with B. I responded, “Provide proof of ownership of the image,” Nothing else. At the time, I thought this was the first time they sent a second claim, as both have the same image.
A WENN Rights International Ltd rep responded – claiming it was likely a clerical error, and asked for case IDs to get Copytrack to drop the case. I sent the case numbers to the Wenn rep, letting them know a second claim for the same image came in after his email. At the time, I did not know the second case came out on January 4, not the 11th.
January 12, 2024
I started using this blog, which has been doing nothing for the last ten years, and I was supposed to start it after Hosting-Reviews-Exposed.com. I began documenting my experience with Copytrack.com. – Click here to read the first post.
January 15, 2024
Copytrack sent notice of closing case starting with b. No apology. In this case, again, the only thing I had said was, “Provide proof of ownership of the image”.
Dear Sir or Madam,
We appreciate your message.
We have reviewed the provided information and decided to close the claim.
Thank you for your kind cooperation.
Best regards,
Legal Department
COPYTRACK GmbH
Copytrack responded to my email regarding the case ending in 4, ignoring my request to read what I sent. But they denied my request for proof that the other party owned the image. Unlike with case B, I responded more. I am not sure that factors into why it was not closed as well after asking for proof of ownership. This makes me wonder if the first contact should have just asked them to provide proof of ownership.
Dear Sir or Madam,
Thank you for your message.
However, we have provided you with sufficient proof that the image of our client was visible under your domain address. Therefore, you are responsible for the copyright infringement. If you possess a valid license or written permission please share it with us, and upon verification, we will close the case.
If you were using the image without permission, the compensation to our client has to be paid. Please be reminded that if you will refuse to cooperate with us we will be forced to hand this case over to our partners, and they will take other actions to protect the rights of our client.
Thank you for your cooperation.
You can easily pay by visiting us at https://portal.copytrack.com/ and entering your case ID to follow our payment request there. Through the portal you can also pay by bank transfer and a full invoice/receipt will be issued at the end of the payment process.
Best of regards,
Legal Department
COPYTRACK GmbH
I debated on waiting to see if they will send a renegotiated fee on Case starting with 4.
Wenn has still not contacted me. I had expected contact on Monday because I was contacted hours after I went to their contact form. I may do so again or wait to see if this goes to collections.
January 17, 2024
Copytrack sent “REMINDER: Authorization Request / Unauthorized Image Use – Case No.: 4”
I am still debating on ignoring to see if they try to negotiate a smaller amount before providing proof they closed a second case over the same image when asked to provide proof of ownership.
January 18, 2024
Copytrack sent “COPYTRACK 1st Reminder: ID 4”
This is a reminder to respond to their last response. The one in which they declined to provide proof that WENN Rights International Ltd owned the image.
January 21. 2024
Copytrack sent COPYTRACK 2nd Reminder: ID 4
I decided to send a single message: “Provide proof of ownership of the image, ”
January 28, 2024
Copytrack.com is silent after seven days – My thoughts on the lack of communication after 7 days.
February 1, 2024
I responded to Copytrack.com on Twitter to
July 19th, 2024
I was in the process of finishing up six articles on Copytrack, the 6th likely my last. I thought maybe I would try one last time to get them to respond on the status of the first claim. I had hoped I could finally state it was closed, but I thought they would ignore me. Either way, it’s a response that adds to my content. I did not think I would actually be able to change the status of the first claim to close and finish up this article.
To Whom It May Concern,
It has been over six months since I was sent claim *REDACTED* without proof of ‘ license history’, which was mentioned in Copytrack.com’s attempts to get me to pay for an image that was a screenshot from a YouTube video and did not belong to Wenn Rights LTD. Since January, my request for proof of ownership has been met with silence, which seems unfair, given that I had to respond. In January Copytrack.com sent two claims on the same image for WENN Rights International Ltd. One of which was closed – *REDACTED*,
Was this a simple mistake? If so, why was no formal apology issued?
Is Copytrack.com proceeding legally against me?
When do we end my experience with this company?
https://benjaminspider.com/copytrack-wenn-rights-international-ltd-my-timeline-in-progress/
This is my last attempt to get Copytrack to respond; note that I have already made preparations should Copytrack.com decide to pursue me.
If this case is closed, I am expecting a sincere apology as well as an explanation. A simple case-closed response is not going to cut it.
I sent this off, thinking I had wasted my time and likely my experience may never be closed.
July 21, 2024
All claims are closed – But without explanation or apology.
Copytrack responded only to answer all claims we closed.
Dear Sir or Madam,
Thank you for your message
I can confirm that both cases have been closed
est regards
Zara
Legal Department
COPYTRACK GmbH
To be clear, I did not edit that message; their legal department is really that sloppy.
So, this is the point: I clean up this post and update it, closing it out. But It does not have a satisfying ending, so my ADHD being what it is, I send this:
Hello Zara,
Please forward this to someone who can answer these questions.
Why was the first one closed?
Why was I not notified that it was closed?
Were they closed because the ‘client license history’ did not exist?Copytrack said there was a ‘client license history’ and harassed me for weeks despite my proof of fair use and Wenn’s not being the owner of that image, which was online much longer than Wenn listed. Again, I was sent two claims on the same image, and I think I am owed an explanation there as well.
Either there was a mistake, and an apology needs to be issued or Copytracks has some serious explaining to do if it does have a ‘client license history’ on that image. It is unprofessional not to tell me the case was closed, why it was closed, and a formal apology issued. Especially given the pressure for me not to ignore Copytrack and left the threat of legal action hanging over me since January.
I am not going away until I get answers.
I am burned out on Copytrack.com, and I am ready to move on to other things with this blog. So, yes, I was bluffing when I said I was not going away.
July 23, 2024
Copytrack throws WENN Rights International Ltd. under the bus
I got a response that admitted no guilt and did not apologize.
Dear Sir or Madam,
Thank you for your recent correspondence.
Copytrack, acting on behalf of our client Wenn International Agency, initiated contact with you in response to the alleged unauthorized usage of an image owned by our client. Following your response, where you asserted proper permission for the image usage, we have duly noted and closed the case.
It is important to clarify that Copytrack’s role is limited to facilitating communication related to copyright infringement matters or issues pertaining to Wenn International Agency. Any further correspondence or queries concerning the Wenn agency should be directed to them directly.
We appreciate your cooperation in this matter.
Best regards,
Zara
Legal Department
COPYTRACK GmbH
One last response because I know they will not apologize or admit to a mistake. But, I have to work this out, or I will obsess about it because… ADHD.
Hello Zara,
I contacted Wenn back in January over the first claim, who said it was a clerical mistake, asked for the claim number, and that they would contact Copytrack to remove it. After that, I realized there were two claims on the same image and sent them both claims. I have yet to receive confirmation that they contacted Copytrack to close them. During the two weeks after I contacted Wenn, Copytrack continued ‘facilitating communication’:
1. Ignored my proof that the image was a screenshot from a video not belonging to Wenn under actual fair use. – Inefficient
2. Continued to send threats of legal action.
3. Never said the first of two claims against the same image was closed. Leaving the threat of legal action looming over me. Was it closed back in January?4. Ignored my requests for updates on the claim status… until now.
4. Fails to provide proof like “Client License History:” Which I believe is a false representation in the US.5. Eventually stopped responding to me after requesting proof of ownership.6. Now fails to admit there was a mistake and apologize.
Wenn may have selected the image (twice), and yes, this reflects badly on them, but Copytrack decided to enforce the claim, which means Copytrack is inefficient and unprofessional. FYI, it would be professional to address people by their names as opposed to; ‘Sir or Madam,’
Over the past six months, I have been researching Copytrack.com. While most of the false claims are on Wenn’s behalf, I know what Copytrack does, especially after communicating with Copytrack clients. FYI, the big complaint is the rate of false positives, which does not save precious time.Please send this to the proper manager.
Likely, no one at Copytrack will read that, and I will likely get a similar response.
July 26, 2024
Copytrack refuses to acknowledge guilt and likely never will.
As expected, Copytrack admits no guilt and offers no apology. I am starting to think Zara is the only one in the legal department.
Dear Sir or Madam,
Thank you for your message
Please refer to my last email, with Copytrack’s position on this matter
Kind regards
Zara
Legal Department
COPYTRACK GmbH
This is where I think my first experience is over; I will not point them to the clients who shared their experience, showing how Copytrack is involved. I responded one last time, showing her proof of Copytrack’s position in this, the email that was sent to me on July 15, that ignored my proof, and I would share our discussion with Wenn. I also told her there was no need to respond. I am certain responsibility and apology will never happen because even Wenn Rights International LTD is nothing more than a number to them. Never mind, there is no real closure; this is my time to move on.
Closing Thoughts on Copytrack.com
As I have said, Copytrack is a company that figured out how to make a profit by going after copyright, and they put the minimum effort into maximizing profit. They rely on clients to screen out their false positives and file hits against the theft of their images. It’s not a system for large corporations like WENN Rights International Ltd, so you see both Wenn and Copytrack together in complaints. It is not a system designed for millions of images. Despite the few false claims from other clients, it is not a system for smaller/new content creators because of the time involved in shifting through false positives. I am guessing they are being used to train Copytrack’s AI. Should one of those clients have a serious copyright issue, Copytrack may get you as much as $25,000, as that is the most I have ever seen them get for their clients, which is nowhere near the record highs of other copyright issues.
If you are looking for a serious solution, Copytrack is not it. My experience reflects what happens when the client is wrong, which is not good for Copytrack’s clients’ brands. Even if they never file false claims. When mistakes happen, it is best to resolve them quickly, admit errors, and apologize. Then, later, adapt. Failure to resolve these kinds of issues is a good reason to abandon a company, esspecially when they have some weirdo like me talking about them.
Anyway, thanks for reading about my experience. I hope it informs you on how to deal with Copytrack.
Posts unrelated to my experiences with Copytrack.com and WENN Rights International Ltd