We have recently registered as a charity.

We have received a demand for over £600 from someone purporting to be from an organisation called ‘Pic Rights’.  This followed an alleged copyright infringement on our website; the designer was a student who designed it voluntarily, and despite our request of him to use only rights-free images, it is alleged that he used one Reuter’s copyrighted image; unfortunately, we are no longer able to contact him.  The image that is alleged to have infringed the copyright has been removed.

A couple of issues:

1. The email has demanded a payment by 08 May.  As per due diligence, as this was an unsolicited email, I have replied back asking for further information as to who the email is from: company number, VAT number, landline number, auditor information, membership of a professional organisation. 

a) When such emails are received, do others have a process through which they go?

b) Are we correct to await a reply which provides this information, as the email threatened escalation to a debt collection agency if we do not pay by the above date?

2. As a newly registered charity, as yet we have no assets, bank account, or an income, and have thus far been reliant on donations for start-up and associated costs.  

a) As a CIO, without any assets, if the email is genuine, are the trustees liable for the demand for payment, or is it the person who designed the website?

b) If the trustees, are liable, is it correct that the maximum they are legally liable for is the amount (I think it was £1 per trustee) that was on the initial documentation, so the maximum that we would pay without any assets is £4 (4 trustees)? 

c) If that does not satisfy the company, then who would they claim against?  

Note- I appreciate that copyright is an important matter, and although this was a mistake by the designer, there may be some liability by someone.  Also, I have seen previous posts that there is an organisation called Pic Rights, although I cannot be certain that this email was received from them or someone purporting to be them.

Thank you so much for your advice.