posted on September 12, 2000 05:49:59 AM
There is another ebay seller who is copying my pictues from my auctions and using for their auctions. Does anyone know of a way to prevent this?
posted on September 12, 2000 05:59:33 AM
Are they linking to your picture on your server or did they actually steal the pic and put it on their own server?
If they are linking to your server, you can delete that pic, upload a bogus one with the same name, and viola!, their auction is "adjusted".
posted on September 12, 2000 06:01:29 AM
I believe there are ways to mark images so that someone who copies it gets a name or pattern on it. I would simply add a large enough copyright notice: (C)MYNAME 2000 to the image to discourage a jerk from wanting to swipe it.
posted on September 12, 2000 11:13:30 AMmballai's suggestion is the easiest, add some text which makes the picture unusable by anyone but you.
Taking it to safeharbor is difficult if the offender claims that you stole the picture from him, and all either of you have is a copy of the same picture.
posted on September 12, 2000 11:52:30 AM
Thanks to all who have tried to help me with the problem of another seller copying my images. Someone suggested fixing it so the other seller really ends up with a photo of torn clothing, etc. instead of my original photo. Can someone tell me how to do that? If I'm going to spend extra time doing something about the problem, it might as well be something fun!
posted on September 12, 2000 03:01:05 PM
This happened to me just last week. They actually copied the picture and put it in ebay photo service. I sent an email to them and told them that they could have asked, and I probably would have let them.
I received an apology and an offer to remove the picture...that was good enough for me.
email them, see what they say.
Do any of you share pictures? Before I had the ability to take pictures I often asked somebody if I could use their pic in my auction. 9 times out of 10 it was ok. I would wait until their auctions ended, and put a link in to their auctions as a way of saying thanks...
It really torks me off that somebody steals pictures, because of the time and effort a lot of people put in to it. But I'll help somebody out if they ask.
posted on September 12, 2000 04:32:27 PM
Very Very best thing to do is turn em in to SafeHarbour....send the number of your auction with your image, and then the number of their auction using your image....they will handle it from there. SH did in 2 of these copycats for me last year. Very professional, and I didn't have to do a thing!
posted on September 12, 2000 06:03:47 PM
I use microsoft's picture it and add text to my photo usually my email address;
if they have linked to where your photo's are just find a photo of an ugly butt baboon and write, Yes I'm ashamed, I stole this photo from some unsuspecting eBayer.
That'll get them when potential bidders write them about it.
Not to long ago, just a couple months as I recall someone had stolen this guys photo's, actually linked right from his page. He found out about it and he replaced it with a picture of a guy in nylon tights nothing else on. UGLY IT WAS but also funny. eBay got win of it and cancelled all that guys auctions. LOL
posted on September 12, 2000 06:28:04 PM"Not to long ago, just a couple months as I recall someone had stolen this guys photo's, actually linked right from his page. He found out about it and he replaced it with a picture of a guy in nylon tights nothing else on."
I saw that auction, that was the funniest thing I've seen on eBay. What made it particually delightful is the seller had been a real jerk on the usenet bragging about 'shilling' as a regular business practice. When he got the picture switched on him there was an uproar of approval. I believe he shilled once to often and is now living on Yahoo.
