Copyright Infringement
Perhaps we should be flattered by the number of people including dealers who continually infringe our IP (Intellectual Property) rights by using our copyright images, but we do not find it amusing, and will take legal action against any copyright infringers.
WestminsterCollection.com
WestminsterCollection.com is just one of the many coin dealers, bloggers & websites worldwide who commit copyright abuse by using our copyright images without our permission. On their website, a page of which we reproduce here, they are clearly using our 1979 QE II Gold Sovereign Obverse and Reverse photographs. The images have been altered slightly and an edge added to the coin, but they are using our image nonetheless.
Sample Text
On 6th February 2012 Queen Elizabeth II celebrates 60 magnificent years on the throne.
And this is your opportunity to own a 22 Carat Gold Sovereign, featuring the Arnold Machin design of the Queen.
Issued by the Royal Mint between 1974-84, this is the second design of the Queen’s effigy to be featured on British coins.
It is the Queen’s favourite portrait and is has been used on British stamps since 1967 making it the most reproduced image ever.
It features the iconic St George and Dragon design on the reverse (designed by Pistrucci) and comes presented in its own Presentation Box with a Certificate of Authenticity.
What’s Wrong?
Except in rare cases where photographs may have been accidentally or negligently copied, or where infringers had some valid reason to believe they had a right to use the images, we believe it is dishonest and unethical to pirate and steal other people’s work by using high quality copyright photographs without the owner’s consent. We can partially understand why some people do it (eBay users for example); it is quick and easy (but then so is robbing people).
Forensics and Fingerprints
We have made a close and detailed forensic comparison of Westminster’s photos. At first glance, it would be possible not to notice or realise they were our photos, but there are some obvious clues which help to provide conclusive and convincing evidence that the photos are ours. We have been able to detect which two out of over 20,000 photos, they have used.
For some reason, the 1979 gold sovereign we chose to photograph had easily visible fingerprints on it. Although we almost certainly selected the best sovereign out of perhaps 100 or more, we could and should have de-greased it to remove the fingerprints before taking the photos. The fact is, we did not. It is also difficult to guess why this particular pair of photos were copied, we must have had better example of the Machin portrait sovereigns issued between 1974 and 1984, although only normal (non-proof) circulation versions were only issued in 1974, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, and 1982.
For whatever reason, they used our photos, and we have them fingered.
Unprofessional
In addition to being an infringement of copyright to copy competitors’ photos, it is also highly unprofessional. It is not as though Westminster are a small company without the financial or time resources to take or commission their own photographs. Mostly it is small dealers who copy our photos. In Westminster’s case, it is almost beyond belief. According to duedil.co, The Westminster Collection Limited is now dormant, but the accounts of their parent company, 288 Group Limited, show 2010/11 sales of almost £23 million, with gross profit of £10.5 million, pre-tax profit of £0.9 million, nett assets of £4 million. It will be interesting to hear from them, and what explanations they offer.
Unbelievable Price
At the time of writing, our price on an uncirculated 1979 sovereign was £312, one in EF+ grade £290, and a proof, complete with box and Royal Mint certificate, actually less at only £298. For the same type, but our choice of date, we usually offer even lower prices.
Westminster’s price…
…an incredible £645 each (their choice of date).
How they get away with charging over double the price that we, a long-standing, established coin dealer asks, is beyond our comprehension. Why people ever pay their extortionate prices is even further beyond. No wonder their gross profit margin is over 46%, compared with ours at around 6%. There must be an awful lot of people around with more money than sense!
2013 £5,000 Plus Legal Costs
In January 2013, we served a notice before legal action against Westminster Collections, a coin marketing company, now owned by 288 Group. for copyright infringement. We indicated that we would settle for £5,000 plus a number of undertakings, and that this figure was not negotiable. They made what we consider to be a paltry offer of £2,000. Good try!, but we were not amused, and passed the file to our solicitors, Pannone of Manchester, with instructions to proceed. We have now received £5,000 compensation, plus our legal fees of about £1,250; we presume that Westminster’s legal fees came to a similar amount, putting their total cost up to between £7,000 and £7,500; they should have taken us more seriously to start with and saved themselves a few thousand pounds!
