Why are my previous blog pictures gone?

You have likely noticed that most of the past photos (before this post) on my blog entries have been removed. A law firm called Higbee & Associates in CA has discovered that with advanced new AI software, the web can be searched nationwide for images (even accidentally) copied and pasted from The Associated Press and other news sources. This has been turned into a mass, automated shakedown, in which the AI finds pictures on your social media, site, or blog--then finds your address, and sends an automatic letter threatening a $150,000 lawsuit. And it's 100% legal, not a scam.

So watch out! If you ignore it, you will be taken to court and will spend a fortune defending yourself. But in the letter, they offer to "settle" for a sum that is slightly less than you would spend even to begin the process of challenging it with a copyright attorney--that's how the shakedown works perfectly. Challenging them is more expensive than paying them.

And it doesn't matter when you posted the picture, or if you got it off Google Images with no idea where it came from. Google the law firm if you want to find out more. Sometimes, their AI is wrong, so before you call them, you should first get a cheap or free consultation with a copyright attorney to make sure they have a case.