How to deal effectively with image theft.

hello

Now that gets the point across!

OMG. Someone is in for a surprise. LOL. You got them good.

LOL - thanks for looking and posting, new friends.

LOL good one! i'll definitly remember that !

Good for you!! I've seen several of my photos on other people auctions and I report it right away. It takes me many nights a week doing all the photos....I don't like lazy people very much........

Good job!

ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!
(((((APPLAUSE)))))

okay two questions...

1 here's the link for the pic...
http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/11470000/11477496.jpg

obviously you both stole it...ROFLMAO

2. how the hell did you get inot their account to change and add your comment...???

WAITING.... 8)

ezcd - the b&n pic isn't the one that was stolen from judy-oz... where their comment is, there used to be another pic -- but since it was judy-oz pic and on judy-oz bandwith, she just switched the picture with that text... If you right click on that, you will see it is an image

OKAY!!! Thanks WC,, I guess I was cornfussed..LOL

Now I get it...!!!

You Rock Judy

And I'm a dipstick, but of course you already knew that?! 8)

Hey cool Website too...! 8)

<snigger> - perfectly reasonable assumption to make, ezcd, and thanks for explaining it, waitresschick. The pic that used to be where the big red message now sits was my photo of the 2 books next to the box.

He's not fussy about whose pics he steals - mine, B&N, Amazon and fantasticfiction.co.uk in that listing alone

Aw, thanks ezcd - it's just about not putting all my eggs into one basket, and not relying on one selling platform which can change the rules and pull the rug out from under me when I'm not looking.

I hear ya! You definitely have it going on...I tip my hat...Great Work!!! 8)

Dont you just love it when people are this smart...Soooooooooooooooooo gooooooooood....just super

And an update on this image thief - I messaged him today (ahem ... my alter-ego did anyway - my ID is too close to my website URL and I reckon even he would manage to make the connection) with the following:

Hello, do you actually have any of your own photos for this item? When I buy on Ebay, I like to see what I'm actually buying, not photos from other websites. Thanks.

And his reply:

Hi, this is my actuall photo. what you will receive 100% like the photos. Cheers. I'm trying to find out who did this and report to ebay.

Go for your life, boyo, report away. And while you're at it, you might like to try and explain how YOUR photo came to have MY website URL.

I've won that one .... so far.

Love it :) I wish I could catch someone doing this to me!

Yes had this happen a few times so much so that I just keep this standard email which I send to any offender....Works a treat and scares the pants off them usually after reading this the offending listing is removed pretty quickly.

Hello
I am sure that this matter is not a deliberate act but it has come to our attention that the photo and part listing for this item (item number) you are selling has been copied from one of our listings. While we realise that you are re selling some of your items previously purchased from members on eBay - including us. We would like to bring to your attention that the copying of any listing material - photo's or text is strictly prohibited by eBay.You might like to take a look at the 'Image or Description Theft' and or 'What is a copyright'? these issues and guidelines are available to read in the eBay toolbar Help centre where the policies for such acts are clearly stated.
As we said we are sure that this has not been a deliberate act on your part and that you were unaware of the strict policies that eBay uphold to protect all their members from plagiarism.
Kind Regards
Blah Blah

All are welcome to use this message as well if you would like to....No worries!!!!

......."but he's so lazy he has just linked to MY photo on MY website, so he's stealing MY bandwidth as well, I just replaced the photo"

I really like that solution. Just imagine what you could replace the photo with - the mind boggles!

Is there an easy way of finding out if others are using you url's?

Regards
John

If you have a website, look at your site stats to see where your traffic is coming from. I noticed quite a few visits from an Ebay URL, which I followed and found my pic had been linked. It's unlikely that an Ebay seller would link to a pic on an Ebay listing, in that case they're more likely to just save it and pretend it's theirs. To find out an image source, right-click on the photo and view 'properties' or 'image source' or some other description, depending on which browser you're using.

In some ways it's easier if the pic has been stolen from an Ebay listing, as T&S are more likely to remove the offending listing. In my case, I sell both on and off Ebay, and as the pic was linked to an external site I would have had to join the VERO program and jump through multiple hoops to get anything done. I had more fun switching images.

Yes, John, the photo replacement image is only limited by your imagination. I know of another seller who had incredible trouble getting T&S to do anything about image theft from a competitor, until he replaced some of the linked photos with really offensive pics, which of course were removed very quickly.

You could also make up a huge jpg with something like "WARNING: Do Not Buy from this Seller" etc etc. Unfortunately most people who steal images load them onto their own server and you cant do much about that but just give me a sniff of anyone using my urls and I will snap into action!

That's where a watermark or some other identifying feature across an image would be good, John. Something subtle which doesn't interfere with viewing the item, but which would be a deterrent to any image thieves.

My replacement message which I used in place of the linked photos said:

THE SELLER OF THIS ITEM IS A THIEF. THEY STOLE THIS PICTURE FROM ME! THEY MAY STEAL FROM YOU TOO ...

Hello fellow ebayers,
Someone recently stole an image of mine of a vase I own and used it to sell an item [today] on ebay stating [and thereby deceiving other ebayers including the person who bid and bought my vase from my photo lol so I don't know what the buyer thinks s/he has bought when its impossible for the seller to have my vase]that the advertised item [my vase]was from the seller's grandmother's estate, which of course it wasn't - unless I'm the grandmother which I'm not. The person used my photo that I took in my lounge-room using other items I own to set up the background and foreground with my vase without my knowledge and/or consent. And used it for profit at that. I would be interested in genuine comment on intellectual property theft. Images carry copyright protection for 50 years.[As of circa May 1969]. Thanks. It pays to keep a portfolio of your own work.

Well I contacted the seller who stole my image and used it to profit on ebay and he called me a liar. What an absolute idiot, to think I can't prove it. Camera's keep the details of original shots of course. Anyway, we'll see what the legal eagles can do. Intellectual property theft is a crime and it is premeditated, It is used to gain / profit by someone elses efforts. So for anyone thinking they shouldnt do anything and those who let the thieves get away with it, think twice.You are in the right and can only win if you pursue action. It gets more complex than this but what interests me on the side is that it seems to be condoned.