I opened an LLC 1 year ago exactly.

The business was days away from going to market (launching the first product) (subscription based online software)

The LLC received a letter from PicRights on the behalf of Agence france press(AFP), asking for $700 and stating their image was used without a license (a 10% crop of a photo that a web page template uploaded automatically) taken by a bulgarian photographer that the AFP uploaded to Getty Images in 2016 (The AFP does accredit PicRights to work on their behalf)

(The photo's refference was NOT registered with the copyright office after searching the 10k photos the AFP did register)

The website was still under development & it was registered to my name (i am a foreigner with no ties to the US) but the US LLC's information was on the website and that's why they mailed the company.

The photo was removed immediately, the entire website was taken down

The website and the LLC never generated a dime neither in sales nor in ads.

I am thinking of dissolving the company, what do you think? (I'd rather cut short any similar claims and attempts to blackmail me in the future).

(Ps: can't afford those $700, nor can i afford the rates of a US lawyer (total monthly salary where i'm from is $120/mo to cover all your living expenses, it's actually hard to survive let alone thrive)