I thought that the first notice...and actually thought it happened when I wrote the content but someone else within the company (who is supposed to know what they are doing) published it.

Nope - I published it. So do I think it is extortion, or at least not-tied-to-reality penalty for the offense (since I did give credit and a URL), yes.

Do I trust lawyers to come to the same conclusion for LESS than the $1k I would owe...NOPE.

So typical litigious extortion for what our society is known for through the years.