Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Watch out for Getty Images

I'm not 100% positive that this is the proper forum for posting the following blog, but I'm going to do it because I believe that I have been wronged and I May be able to prevent someone else from also being wronged. And I firmly believe that the people who read this will appreciate the effort from that standpoint. Then I promise that I will get back to focusing on my products and services and what I'm doing for my customers.

I have a website- www.myswimplatform.com, that was designed and is maintained by a friend. She is not a professional web designer but did a great job. She copied a “thumbnail” image from Google when she first created the website because I did not have a whole lot of finished product pictures to send her for use on the website.

I received a letter from a company called Getty Images about a month ago telling me that I had published a copyrighted photo and that I owed them $1,225.00 and that I either paid or they would take me to court where the damages could be much higher and I would be responsible for their attorney’s fees as well.

The web maintainer, Jamie, immediately removed the picture and wrote and apologized and explained that she did not know that the photo was copyrighted. She also explained that the photo was the size of a stamp and posted on a very back page which was visited only a handful of times. Getty’s response was Thanks for removing the picture and sorry about your bad luck, but you still owe the money. They also informed me that even though a second party designed the website, that the law allowed them to go after me, the owner of the website. And apparently the copyright laws have changed so that copyrighted material does not have to be identified as copyrighted like it used to be. It is now up to the person looking to copy the picture, video or text to determine if the material is copyrighted.

So I contacted several attorneys and was told the same thing. They have all dealt with Getty on similar basis’ and informed me that this is Getty’s business model. They do this because there are so many business’ that pay Internet companies to create their website. Often, these companies sub the jobs to other countries. They copy thumbnails off of the Internet which makes it easy for Getty to search (using software) for these copyright infringements and shake down the owners of the websites.

The attorneys all told me to pay the $1,225.00. They all said that if I did not, that getty would sue me and win and that I would be on the hook for a Minimum of $125,000.00! And they told me that they could take my case, but that I would then be on the hook for their $400.00 per hour fee in addition to the $1,225.00!

I have since researched this a bit and found that there are several class action lawsuits to stop Getty Images from being able to do this. All agree that it is legal but also agree that it is unethical, ruthless and despicable! Please check out the following website- http://extortionletterinfo.com/

My hope is that if you do read this, and have a website, that it may get you (web site owners) to investigate their websites and determine if there is any potential for illegal, copyrighted infringement. It may save them the grief and expense that I have incurred. And it may expose Getty Images for what they are- skumbags.

I understand the idea behind copyrighting and respect an artist’s value in his work. This scenario however presents a Very different case. If someone purposefully uses a person’s copyrighted work to gain in any manner from it, then they should pay amends. If it is done unknowingly and without intent to gain from it, then address it Very differently.

Thanks for letting me vent. Please let me know if this helped you. And of course, please let me know if I can build you a custom Safe Step Swim Platform!

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Hello all again. What a year! I'm so blessed personally and professionally. Thanks to all of my customers this year for making it the best ever!

So what's new. Well, I've added a couple of very neat options that are getting more and more popular. The LED lights seem to be very popular and the water tight storage is attractive to many people who want to get their "stuff" out of the boat.
The LED lights are nice because the technology is growing so fast. They are making underwater lights now that are easy to install and getting less and less expensive. If I was not making custom extended Safe Step Swim Platforms, I'd be in the LED lighting business.

The water tight storage compartments are fun to make and are working out well according to the customers who take the time to give me feedback. Another indicator to me that it is a good option is that my competition has copied the idea. My webmaster told me to not worry about it....that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"..... OK then.

On a personal note- I took a three week vacation this summer to go on a boat up the Inside passage from Prince Rupert, B.C. to Skagway and back to Juneau. It was an incredible experience as you can imagine. The highlight was when I was hiking and came within 30 feet of a brown bear (Alaskan Grizzley). Luckily, she was apparently full up on Salmon as she could have cared less that I was there.

When I got back from the trip, I was able to enjoy the pool that we had installed. It is just a small pool that I use for excersize. I have found it very enjoyable as I come home from work and it allows me to de-stress and hopefully lose some weight while I'm at it.

I'm looking forward to this winter. That does not mean anything to those of you who don't know me, but for those who do, this is significant. It used to be when I first started this business that because the business was so cyclical and the winter was the most quiet, that I would stress over the financials. Now that the business has a solid foundation, I actually look forward to the slow down. In fact, I am planning on going to the Bahamas in December to spend time with my sister and her husband aboard their 46' sailboat. They made the trip south through the ICW al the way to the Bahamas last year and their story and pictures inspired my trip to Alaska. They've invited me to spend some time with them this year.....how can I pass that up?

So if the business doubles in volume again this year, I will have to hire some help. I anticipate that this will occur as I'm getting more local, national AND international orders. If you are thinking about ordering a platform, Now is the time. I can make it now and get it to you before the spring rush. If you have any questions or concerns, write to me and I'll assist you the best I can.

I'll be back in touch when it slows down this winter. Until then, cheers and remember, it's Five O'Clock somewhere!

Scott

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Just an update!


I'm sorry it's been so long since my last update. I've never been this busy, let alone this busy this early! I'm not complaining mind you. It's a blessing and a curse so to speak. My friends, family and customers are having a hard time getting a hold of me. I am working hard and I answer messages when I can. If you are one of the people haveing a hard time getting a hold of me, I apologize. Please be paitient as I PROMISE I will get back to you.

Interesting experience two weeks ago. A potential customer of mine ended up buying a platform from my largest competitor. He evidently did not realize that I could have made the same platform for less $. Regardless, he called and asked if I would install it for him. I agreed. Once he got to my shop and saw the platforms that were in progress... he apologized and said "If I would have known that you could do all of this, I would have bought my platform from YOU". Long story short.... I mounted his new platform and he was satisfied. I never talk badly about my competition. I will tell you that when I compared their product to mine... I've never been as PROUD of my platforms!

I had a great experience with some customers from Montana recently. They were good communicators, high energy, positive people. I made a great looking platform for them and as they saw the pictures of the platform in progress, they did not even wait until it had been delivered to boast about me on their Chapparal club blog site. These kinds of experiences really make all of the hard work worth the while. You can see their platform and comments in my "customer comments" section. And if you are in Montana and see them on the water.... say HI to Mike and Vicki for me!

Finally, for those of you that are following the blog.... Kingsley, my grandson, came to visit us yesterday and is doing well. He and my daughter are a joy to be around. I'm very proud of her and I love to make Kingsley laugh. He's funny.

Have a great day and a Great boating season.

Cheers, Scott

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Two great new options for 2010!




I'm SO excited. I have not been able to sleep much lately. First of all, 2010 is starting out to be great from a business standpoint. Economic times have been rough. But now, I think people are realizing the importance of upgrading and maintaining their valuable assets. This season is off to a great start. In fact, this is the best start Ever.

I'm also excited about two new options that I am introducing. I discovered both kind of by accident. Those are the best kind right? The first is a platform "wrap". I thought of this when I was preparing for the Seattle Boat Show. I wanted the display platform to really "pop"! So I asked my graphics guy if he could wrap the platform with vinyl similar to what you see on trucks and vans these days. He said yes, so I created a very neat looking design and I've attached it to this blog so you can see. The beauty of this is that you could really liven up your platform with any design you want, with great colors and a very shiny durable surface.

The other option is a storage space. I had a customer who was concerned that his through hull exhaust would spew water into the back of the platform (skirt) and create drag. So I addressed this by glassing a 1/4" piece of FRP onto the bottom of the platform so that any water would be directed down and through the back. So I got to thinking....What could I do with that cavity that was created by doing this? I could add stringers inside and add a hatch cover thus creating the perfect storage space for ropes, sand spikes, etc... or even use it as a cooler! I will post some pictures as soon as I've got some.

This to me reinforces that your swim platform is a blank sheet of paper upon which you can create a functional work of art. The options are only limited by your imagination.

I'm so excited..... Have a great day. Scott

Sunday, February 7, 2010


Hey everyone. Just back from the Seattle Boat Show. Overall I felt that we will be succesful as there was good traffic, good interest and several confirmed sales. I got the feeling that many people are tired of hearing bad news and want to just get on with their lives. They are ready to spend money and of course the family boat is something people think of first when spending money.

I want to thank several friends and family members who supported me during the week. First there was Sue and Darryl who allowed us to stay at their home on the lake. Wonderful friends who came to visit us in our booth. Then our friends Phil and Ann invited us to spend some time on their yaught which is moored on Lake Union. We had dinner with them one night and spent the night on the boat which was a unique experience for us. And thanks to the rest of the friends and family who showed up to visit us in our booth.

I'd like to thank Nor'Westing magazine who wrote an article on my company for the Boat Show edition. Well written and it drove a lot of customers to my booth. They went above and beyond and I am grateful.

I also had a booth in the Spokane show which was going on concurrently to our show. My good friend Chuck manned the booth in Spokane. How can I thank him enough for all of his hard work? He reported that the show in Spokane mirrorred the results in Seattle. Very good interest and several confirmed sales. Low attendance during the week. I will do something special for Chuck to show my gratitude.

And finally to my wife Jeanne who not only helped me in the booth, but had to do her regular job also. Long days for her and as always, she just smiled and made the best of it. I really admire her!

So if I talked to you at the show, I look forward to working with you. If I missed you at the show, please get a hold of me through my web site.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

New for 2010!

New for 2010 to celebrate my past success!..... I want to beat ANYONE's published / quoted pricing by 10% for an EXACT duplicate platform (shape, style, color, options. Materials and method of manufacturing may vary)). I'm doing this because I want to get even more aggresive this year about going after the platform market. I'm VERY confident that I make the best platform available and definitely the most value.


I'm adding the following FAQ's on my web site:

Q: How do I know that I'm going to get exactly the platform that I have pictured in my mind?

A: I send you pictures pretty much every day at the end of the day showing you the progress that we've made. In this way you:
1) See the quality that goes into the construction, 2) feel comfortable in the progress and conformance to schedule and 3) Ensure that I am making the platform to your specifications. You get to see the platform finished before it is shipped so that there are no surprises when it arrives at your door.

Q: Is there a "best" time to order?

A: YES, the best time to order is the off season (Jan, June, July, Dec). The lead times are much better.

Q: Does the platform ever drag in the water from being too big?

A: We primarily make "full size" platforms. Many people ask this question as they are concerned, especially when getting up on plane, that the big platform will drag. We actually went out this summer and did a professional photo shoot on my boats to photograph and video the platform from rest to on plane. At no time did the platform drag in the water. I've NEVER had a customer come back and relay concerns about this so I'm saying No, it won't be a problem.

Q: What about "vents" .... are they necessary for water drainage or air pressure relief?

A: Again, a lot of customers ask this question. When we first started making these platforms over ten years ago, we thought they needed vents. However, through first hand experience and customer feedback and comments from other maufacture's, I am convinced that they are not necessary. Some customers like the look of them or use them for hand grabs so we offer them as an add on, but functionally they are not necessary.

Q: What about installation hardware? How does yours compare to your competitions?

A: If you do a good job of research, you will find that my installation package is unsurpassed. While they smash the ends of their SS support rods and drill holes in them, I give you specially designed brackets that hold the SS rods. This gives you more flexibility in the installation and is a significantly stronger application. Also, for most of their platforms they offer two support rods. The minimum number (except on platforms less than 16 sq ft) of support rods I provide is four! It is over engineered sure, but I like my customers to feel no flex at all while standing on the platform.

Q: Shipping? State that it depends on when you order your platform.... If you order during peak season (Feb through May and Sept through Nov) it could be up to 4 weeks. If you order during off season expect two weeks. Ordering a SeaDek pad can add as much as 4 weeks.

Finally, I have a new testimonial that I'm very proud to receive. John has been a customer since he got his first boat about five years ago. He and his wife have been loyal customers and a truly great people. I LOVE my customers! :

From John Newman: Scott: Just a note to personnaly thank you for all you have done for me and my ski boat. I know when I first met you 5 years ago that I didn't know anything about boats. That first year ended up being pretty costly after the prop repair, etc... But from listening to your advice regarding driving lessons and recommended care and maintenance, I think I did pretty good these past two years, huh? We've thoroughly enjoyed taking friends and family out on the river. It has become one of our favorite activities.

I don't know anybody else that meets their customers at the ramp at the end of the year to assist in pull out and delivers the boat to the ramp in the spring. Your generosity is appreciated and I understand why when I come to your shop you are buried in boats!

I've heard others talk about your customer-first attitude and skills as a boat maintainer. I want you to know I echo their comments. And we love your mechanic Frank. You guys are honest and fair. You've been wonderful and Jeanne and I thank you.

See you in the spring!

John and Jeanne Newman
Spokane Valley, WA

For those of you planning on coming to the boat show to see the Safe Step Swim Platforms for yourself, I'll see you there!

Scott

Sunday, January 10, 2010

I have two new significant developments to share. The first is that I have joined the Northwest Marine Trade Association (NMTA). It was a requirement for getting into the Seattle Boat Show. But it turns out that I'm glad I'm involved. They have some good publications and I should get some exposure on the West side. I am also taking advantage of a Boat Show Special for advertizing in a West Side magazine- Nor'Westing. The editor has already decided to write an article about my company in addition to the advertizing.

The second development is that the air pollution control authority in Spokane has recognized my business- Contemporary Fiberglass, as a top (gold level) achiever in performance with regards to improving air quality. I have always believed that I could run my business effectively, profitably and still abide by all relevant regulations. And to be honest, as I grow older I am even more convinced that I want to help leave this planet in good shape for my children and grandchildren.

I have been getting ready for the Boat Shows at the end of the month. The phone has been ringing with potential customers wanting information on my Safe Step Swim Platforms. I believe that 2010 will be another record breaker. I'm so confident that a custom extended swim platform adds so much safety and functionality to your boating experience that more and more people will be ordering them.

Cheers. I hope to hear from you if you are interested.