I'm a solo dev and about 6 months ago I launched my first app on the Play Store.
For the screenshots I used an image I found on what looked like a free stock site- no watermark, no sign-up required, downloaded it and moved on
Last week I got an email from a company claiming they represent thephotographer and that the image requires a commercial license for app store use. I immediately swapped out the screenshot and resubmitted the update.
They came back saying the update doesn't matter, I still owe for the period it was live. The number they're quoting is $4,000
I'm a one-person operation, the app makes maybe $200 a month.
Has anyone dealt with these kinds of retroactive claims before? Are they actually enforceable across borders or is this mostly scare tactics hoping you'll just pay? And does removing the content quickly actually help your case at all legally?
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