posted on June 6, 2001 08:07:03 AM
I'm writing an article about VeRO and I'd like to learn about experiences folks have had with it. For instance, have you ever had one of your auctions pulled because of a VeRO violation? Or, did you register copyright ownership with VeRO and then have auctions pulled that violated your copyright?
I'd like to read about any type of "VeRO experiences" that folks have had. Either post here or email me at [email protected]. Thanks in advance!
posted on June 6, 2001 10:03:12 AM
Our name is registered ® and our Service Mark. We had it placed on VERO to protect our intellectual property interests and keep others at bay, so to say. Who are you writing for?
[ edited by Empires on Jun 6, 2001 10:04 AM ]
posted on June 6, 2001 11:43:16 AM
I am a Vero on a product,
I had someone else start selling my product and then register as the Vero for it. They had my auctions ended.
They told me when I had theirs ended that if they could not sell my booklet then they would make it that I could not.
Well they did..what a joke..Ebay was no help...I had been Vero on this since they had Vero.
Anyways I had to file a form Counter Claim...and after about 14 days I was allowed to relist..
Another experance with Vero is I fould USPS selling fake Oakleys...I emailed the Oakley vero and the auctions were ended..
they relisted but doctored the picture so you could not read Oakley...I let the vero know again and they said they were going to ask Ebay to mark the account
for suspension...the auction was ended but United States Postal Service is still selling on Ebay...had that been any one else they would be gone.
posted on June 6, 2001 11:58:15 AM
What experiences have you had with VeRO? BAD!!!!
In my case my item was ended by VERO memberI contacted him as per ebays instructions.
Sent him something like 5 e-mails before he responded I asked him specficlly how my USED item violoted his rights.
I never did Get a clear response from him
The Item in question was a 24" used coors beer clock in the shape of half a can.
The vero member made can clocks by taking soda and beer cans and putting a quartz movement in them,,,,,HUH ?
Not evan close to the same product.
Ebay was no help I contacted them and asked to file a complaint against him for ending my auction fraudlantley ...two emails to ebay no response.
In my opion the vero program is ripe for fruad. anyone can register and end any auction at any time It then is up to the person who's auction is ended to jump thru hoops to relist.
posted on June 6, 2001 01:29:18 PM
>have you ever had one of your auctions pulled because of a VeRO violation? <
Yes, one, for a "possible" copyright violation!
"Possible", yeah, right.
Why is it that only one of the 6 or 7 auctions that we had going was VERO'd, when all contained the same 5 items??? They never said a word about the others, nor have they since. Never any word on which of the items "possibly" violated any copyright!
NO specifics were ever mentioned and we have since had many of the same auctions close. problem free.
Really funny how you cannot sell photos of famous people, even if you took them. No mousepads of the stars. No home-made keychains, t-shirts, magnets, CD's or anything else yet ebay is full of them!
In fact, not too long ago I bought one of those CD's with hundreds of pictures, games, screen savers and even music on it.
A great deal of stuff for only $3.00!
(and the guy has at least 150 auctions currently running for them still! Plus a POWER SELLER emblem and a link to his website for purchasing more, non-ebay style)
VERO pulled an auction on me because it was a CD that had a hole in the back sleeve. Despite pointing out that 1) this is not illegal and 2) there are *millions* of CDs that are like this, they wouldn't reinstate.
Then, I emailed VERO when someone posted 5 CDs of artists which were 'live concerts'. Now, these artists have never released live concerts (ie. Backstreet Boys) on CD, legitimately. VERO then emailed back saying "Hi, we won't do anything because you're not the copyright owner. But if they email us, we'd be glad totake action!". Despite the fact that the discs were live shows less than one month old.
posted on June 6, 2001 03:10:59 PM
Yes i was VERO on a CD then the person who VERO me tried to buy another live CD By another artist I suppose he did not have copyright on the artist he wished to buy so it was ok confusing.I pulled all my cds and do not sell them any more.
posted on June 6, 2001 03:13:37 PM
I had some 25 year old software that was on 8 inch floppy disks (Only old hackers remember these) pulled one time. They let me re-list with a disclaimer that I was selling the disks, but not the right to use them, and I had to post the url to the copyright owner so the buyer could apply for a license if they intended to use the software. It had been bid up to $130 when the auction was pulled, but only brought $56 the second time.
I see lots of illegal software in the local thrift store that is run by our local sheriffs department, but I know better than to buy it to resell on ebay. I would report them, but to who???
posted on June 7, 2001 10:32:14 AM
The VERO program is a great idea but ebay takes a sortof stand off approach to it. Being the middle man so to say. It could be more forcefull in some ways and police it's boards better. Update VERO people as well as to better serve them. Hope to see the article soon.
posted on June 7, 2001 11:43:43 AM
Blame the DMCA for all this trouble with VERO.
slr101: If I remember my facts straight, many Record Companies mark the CD by either punching a hole thru the CD Barcode or "drilling" thru the case and back sleeve to indicate it's Promo Status.
Under many State Laws, selling Promo CD's may result in Arrest and stiff fines. It's THEIR Property that they "loaned" out for Promotional Purposes.
But, going after everyone is a time-consuming task, and is a waste of money they woud rather spend busting a CD-R Pirate Ring or going after another Napster-Clone (Or paying Rosen of the RIAA her $1 Million Yearly Salary).
But, the Recording Industry is taking a cue from the Software Folks, and pretty soon, that CD you bought at the store is encrypted (and may or may not play on your CD Player, gyping you out of some petty cash), and your only LEASING the CD, not buying it (basiclly destroying the First-Sale Doctrine).
:\\\\\\\"Crystalline Sliver cannot be the target of spells or abilities.
posted on June 7, 2001 12:00:29 PM
crystalline silver - Do you know of any states that have this law? I've never heard of it before, but I have heard (though I can't find any proof of it) that someone once sued about this 'promotional' material, anda court rules that the stamp (I've seen those, as I have a bunch of CDs with it on there) is unenforcable and they *can* be sold.
However, I've never found a link to the appropriate case.
posted on June 7, 2001 04:11:53 PM
It's accutaly covered under States Theft Laws. Selling a Promotional CD consitutes selling "Stolen" Goods. The CD's weren't meant for Re-Sale (and many are marked as such).
Examples:
A B*Witched Single (The remake of Toni Basil's "Mickey" Song) with a sticker in front stating:
This compact disc is the property of the applicable record label and is being provided for promotional use only. Resale is unlawful and may be punishable under federal and state laws.
A Pokemon Album has this in Gold Lettering on the liner notes and on the CD itself:
FOR PROMOTIONAL USE ONLY. SALE OR OTHER TRANSFER IS PROHIBITED. MUST BE RETURNED ON DEMAND OF RECORDING COMPANY.
It probably all depends on the wording. The first indicates prosecution. The other doesn't.
And as for the case: I've never heard that case before. No Lawyer that I've seen in cases I've been in have ever mentioned any case like that. (and no, i'm not RIAA. Never liked those bastards.)
:\\\\\\\"Crystalline Sliver cannot be the target of spells or abilities.
posted on June 7, 2001 05:10:49 PM
I had an authentic Chanel purse VERO'd.
It didi give me great satisfaction to learn that Jackie Kennedy was fond of Chanel knockoffs, and the famous pink Chanel suit Jackie wore is really a fake! Do you think Chanel will pull a VERO on the Smithsonian(sp?)?
posted on June 7, 2001 05:44:39 PM
I had a 20-year-old Led Zeppelin album from Russia pulled. It was issued on the official state-owned Russian label, Melodiya. I got a response from the VeRO owner saying that Russia never licensed anything legally from the American labels. Somehow I find that hard to believe.
Another time I had a compilation CD pulled because the VeRO owner had one song on it. This was an album that was number one in the country at the time. I emailed them and they got back to me and admitted that it was OK for me to sell it. They actually told me that they regularly sweep through the auctions for that band and kill anything that isn't one of their official releases--even though this one was quite legal. Of course by the time I started over again I'd lost all the bidders and I ended up making a lot less on it than I would have a week earlier.
Ebay needs to police VeRO instead of letting VeRO police Ebay.
posted on June 7, 2001 05:48:13 PM
The question I have about those promo CDs is what exactly do they expect the journalists and radio stations to DO with them all? Some of those people must get 100 or more CDs a week. Are they really expected to just keep them all? Who has the space, or the desire, to get five or ten thousand new CDs a year? Are they supposed to just throw them away if they don't want them? So many of them are garbage that even charity organizations and libraries wouldn't want them. It's a dumb law and the record companies must KNOW that it's a joke.
posted on June 7, 2001 06:50:51 PM
crystalline - Thanks for that information, I'll have to check into it. Do you happen to have a link? I'm just curious, because (for example) in New York, a few years back, some shops were busted for selling bootleg CDs - but the same shops,selling tons of promotional CDs, were *not* busted for that at all.
Also - I know that notches out of CDs is also a way for record labels to 'clear out' extra stock, and is done to make sure that they don't take back any CDs (and compensate full / partial cost).
posted on June 7, 2001 07:12:09 PM
I registered my name/auction descriptions and auction pictures with the VERO Program.
I sell some very high end golf collectibles and about once a month, some goof-ball (usually newbie) seller will copy my descriptions word for word and snag my pictures to sell the exact same item.
One email to the Vero program and the "pirated" auctions are pulled and quite often, the seller is Naru'd.
I spend a lot of time and effort to write ads and take pictures and I don't appreciate them being stolen by my competitors.
The Vero program does have some good points and I'm happy they are around.
