Yikes! That's terrible.
This article might be of some help here. Make sure you don't keep a hidden copy of the image anywhere on your web server (but maybe print out a copy for your home records).
This article is also quite useful, and one of the comments has these steps to take initially:
kent says:
January 13, 2012 at 10:45 am
As a web designer, I too have had web clients that have and are receiving “the letter” and invoice from Getty. May I recommend the following:
1. remove images in question from the site.
2. block external linking and or browsing to and of the images in question and the folder in which your images reside.
3. kindly demand proof of Getty’s ownership if the images including all purchase date and fees paid.
4. require them to provide their “unbroken chain of custody” for the image from their creation to current date.
5. tell Getty, and any other collection agency, that their invoice is “under dispute” so that you are then legally protected from further harassment and calls until all the facts are established, proven and verified.
6. remind Getty that you are not liable for any damages or fees related to the good faith use of said images if they were acquired BEFORE Getty purchased the rights or management of the images in question.
7. Inform Getty that they cannot control the past, present, or even future use of an image that was legally acquired BEFORE Getty’s acquisition of said image. They cannot “revoke” the original terms and conditions under which the images were originally acquired.
8. Demand that Getty establish that the images and display page in question were on a page that was “for profit” and on a page that was “navigable and part of the site’s architecture” and for “public use or consumption”, and not for “private use or private display purposes only”.
9. Send Getty a Invoiced “bill” for any additional unauthorized bandwidth caused by their Picscout robot on your server as this was an unauthorized invasion of privacy, without a court ordered warrant.
10. Require Getty to prove that the images in question were NEVER previously sold or distributed by another owner or library as Royalty Free of otherwise.
11. Turn the tables! 1000′s of letters and invoices should be sent, under separate cover, to Getty demanding high dollar amounts from them for Getty’s use of said images and require Getty to prove their ownership or management rights, and “clean chain of custody” of said images including purchase or contract dates, purchase amounts, author’s and creator’s information, etc..
12. Be sure to locate any receipts, CD’s, dates, etc. for libraries for the images in question.
13. If doing all this on behalf of a web client or yourself, demand that all further communications from Getty be in writing only, be directed to you or your attorney’s only – no telephone calls please.
14. File a formal written complaint with your State’s Attorney General, your local department of consumer affairs, and the local BBB.