My Artwork has been stolen and up on Ebay
My limited-edtion screenprint image (signed / numbered) of Stephen Sondheim, is being illegally sold on Ebay. I contacted the seller and told them it was my artwork and to take it down. I then reported them to Ebay. I got back some auto-decision that it was fine. It’s NOT fine. They are illegally selling my artwork.
Here is the item: https://www.ebay.com/itm/156618202101
Outside of hiring a lawyer and suing Ebay and the seller, what are my options. Navigating this place to find an actual human being to speak to is a nightmare. I can’t find anything in the way of contact that makes sense.
Any help here is VERY much appreciated.
30 comments
fbusoni
·1 year ago@johnmav2
Not sure if anyone has noted this but that is a terrific depiction of Sondheim. I admire your talent.
Also, the seller is based in Sri Lanka. Big surprise, I know. Testimony to eBay's complete and utter lack of quality control in the seller onboarding process.
az93
·1 year agoLimited Edition means more than one of these were made.
slati_2013
·1 year agoYour screenprint has been taken down but the seller has almost 2000 more illegal items they are selling. eBay needs to ban the seller.
johnmav2
OP1 year agoAmen. I reported them. But who knows with eBay.
femmefan1946
·1 year agoYou don't want to phone anybody.
The "phone reps" are subcontractors in Utah or the Philippines who do not work for eBay and who are poorly trained.
The phone reps have a terrible reputation for getting you off the phone as soon as possible even if that means giving you the advice you want to hear instead of the advice you need to have.
Here are your options for contacting Ebay Customer Service.
Please be aware that for social media CS, you send them a Private Message and briefly explain what your problem or issue is. Feel free to leave your Name, address, phone number and/or your email address in this message. It is private and secure and it may help to speed up the response for you.

https://www.facebook.com/ebay— Message button in upper right on landing page.
#204760888466
https://www.instagram.com/ebayforsellers/

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/How-do-I-contact-Customer-Support/m-p/32016431#M1783851 -> Automated Assistant, type AGENT -> enter. You will then get more options.


The social media Chat accounts are covered by trained eBay employees with some authority.
And you get a transcript so you can compare what you heard with what you were told.
@slipping jimmy gave you the best advice.
Hit them with a VeRO claim.
EBay is scared of those ever since Louis Vuitton messed them up in court.
johnmav2
OP1 year agoThank you so much for taking the time to respond and giving good advice!!
I sent a second note to the offender and they took the listing down.
Thanks to people like slipping jimmy and you, I now know what to do when this happens.
Happy New Year!
lacemaker3
·1 year ago@johnmav2
You need to file a VeRO report, as @slippinjimmy suggested here. eBay has a process in place; follow the process and the listing will be taken down immediately.
You probably need to file DMCA reports on the other online stores that are also selling posters of this image. You can report them to their domain(s).
For the future, I would advise you not to post full, un-watermarked pictures of your artwork on instagram. It may not be immediately obvious how, but there are ways of copying pics from there, in full resolution.
johnmav2
OP1 year agoThank you so very much for your answer and taking the time to comment.
I really appreciate it! I’m filing a VeRO report.
Happy New Year!
redmodelt
·1 year agoDidn't you post about this a while back under a different username, and weren't you advised that you would need to sign up for eBay VERO program and/or to get your images actually copywrited?
johnmav2
OP1 year agoNo. I don’t believe that was me. My images are copywrited. Having said all that, it seems like you’re not dealing with the offending party… who have ZERO claim to MY work.
momtoabeautifuldaughter
·1 year agoDo you have a copyright on it? Are all the ones that come up on Google yours?
johnmav2
OP1 year agoYes. I can prove it’s my artwork and that it was ONLY sold as limited-edition signed prints.
tinsoldierunderground
·1 year agoFrom the listing, it appears they're making copies of your art and offering the image in various sizes, as well as colors. I don't think ebay will be of any help here. Seller is listed in New York and Sri Lanka? Unless a law firm is holding their feet to the fire, like what we've seen in SAD (schedule a defendant) cases on this site, they probably won't budge either. In those instances, it's large corporations with deep pockets going after unauthorized small time sellers.
johnmav2
OP1 year agoI appreciate it, but if I could talk to a live human at Ebay, they could SURELY take the listing down. That’s all I want (at a minimum) from Ebay.
…right now they’re doing nothing with no way (that I can find) to make my (easy) case.
tinsoldierunderground
·1 year ago@johnmav2
Other than contacting them through social media, I don't know how you'd contact a knowledgeable human.
Many have reported good results going through ebay for business on facebook.
johnmav2
OP1 year agoI’m filing a VeRO report… but This is another avenue I might try. Thank you!!
johnrj1226
·1 year agoYou say "...... but if I could talk to a live human at Ebay, they could SURELY take the listing down...."
Some times this happens when proof is only one side of this of this intriguing story and it all just verbal
The Stones sang it best
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=you+don%27t+always+get+what+you+want
Hint: Try to get on one of those judge TV shows - like Judge Judy - there's several to pick from
GL
12345jamesstamps
·1 year agoIs this someone who lives in Sri Lanka?
There is nothing you can do.
johnmav2
OP1 year agoBut Ebay does NOT have to keep the listing up if the item is ripped off, right?
I want EBAY to act. I can’t do anything about the rip-off artist.
johnmav2
OP1 year agoTo CLARIFY:
They are not selling one of my limited-edition prints.
They have simply copied the art and selling them as their prints at various sizes.
This is THEFT.
If they bought one of my prints and are re-selling it on Ebay, that is fine. That is NOT what happened here.
doc-holmes
·1 year agoWait, how did they get your artwork? Is it stolen? If they're the rightful owner they're allowed to sell it.
johnmav2
OP1 year agoThey are not the “rightful ownerâ€â€¦ They have taken an image that I created and are making cheap posters / prints out of it. That is NOT legal.
doc-holmes
·1 year agoYou didn't mention they were making copies of your work and selling it. No, that's not legal. Not sure there's much that can be done beyond reporting them.
johnmav2
OP1 year agoThanks… but I want Ebay to TAKE down the listing… and all I got was an auto-response that said basically “everything’s fine.†It’s not.
Any idea how to speak to a human being at Ebay about this?
slippinjimmy
·1 year agoYou don't need to speak to eBay.
What you need to do is file a infringement notice against eBay under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
You can find information on the process here:
https://www.ebay.com/sellercenter/ebay-for-business/verified-rights-owner-program#m17-1-tb2
Once you file, eBay will immediately remove the listings.
johnmav2
OP1 year agoTHANK YOU!!!!!! THAT is the answer I’ve been looking for!
Much obliged!
inhawaii
·1 year agoHere's a wild, crazy idea.
Why don't you contact law enforcement?
If it were me, I would buy it so i could get it back, then pursue legal action against the seller.
But that's just me.
johnmav2
OP1 year agoThank you for your response. It is the image they have taken.
I sold 18x24†limited-edition signed screenprints. They simply copied the image and are selling it…. so I don’t know if the police would care about that.
adamcartwright
·1 year ago@inhawaii
The other seller is reproducing his artwork and would just print another one.
inhawaii
·1 year agoThanks.
Didn't know that from the original post.