DoctorC - 6:50 pm on Aug 20, 2011 (gmt 0)

Koan - Linking to someone elses image is Hot Linking and it is illegal because it steals bandwidth. In the US, stealing bandwidth can create a fine of up to 100,000.00 plus actual documented costs. So this is not a good thing. Getty is TROLLING all available directories, including ones that you say to NOT visit in your Robots.txt file (probably /images/) and anything else that it can find in the links. So they are stealing bandwidth.

The irony is that they typically want about $1,000.00 for images. I say PAY THEM! Then take your server logs and sue them for bandwith theft. At $100,000 per violation that is 10,000 lawsuits = $1 Billion in fines, plus court costs. So the Feds might like this one a lot, it would help balance the US budget. Write this on in to the President... good one!