Selling AI images?
Well this is something new (at least to me)..... I just came across an AI created desktop image for sale by a foreign seller. Turns out, he is one of hundreds of sellers who are doing the same thing. After 26 years as an eBay seller, I never thought I would see the day when one could create a digital image that looks so real and then sell it on eBay without concerns of copyrights, IP, shipping or ever running out of stock. How is this OK?
26 comments
kh-christelle
·4 months agoHi everyone,
Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.
Thank you for understanding.
gone.c-33
·4 months agoSeller is probably accepting any offer, whatever the amount. Probably for feedback padding purposes.
It’s the new $.25 recipe.
squinkercat59
·4 months agoWhat am I missing? Why would someone pay that? You can "save image" to your own computer from the listing, and just crop the bottom off that has the name, and print it out if you wanted to use it as a "book cover" or something else. Isn't that what the $100 gets you? A downloaded image?
a_c_green
·4 months agoNo doubt. Without seeing the listing itself I can't say for sure whether he's mainly interested in getting paid for the image or for his Positive feedback that the buyer will receive (or both), but throwaway listings for digital images, paper clips or what-have-you have been going for years, generally selling feedback that other buyer accounts can use to puff up their own standings, so I would regard AI images as more of the same (though, with AI's assistance, the range of possible images is certainly far wider than before).
paladium66
·4 months agoIt's straight out fraud - and eBay now agrees. Unless you state in the title/description that you're selling an AI generated image, as opposed to an actual photograph or even a "copy" of a real photograph.
my-cottage-books-and-antiques
·4 months ago@paladium66 Not disagreeing, I've been expecting to see a rule about this from ebay, but haven't seen the actual rule so far. Can you provide your source....I'd like to read what ebay actually says.
onefootflipper
·1 year agoThe entire photo print category is 99 percent copyright infringement, as is most of the poster and t-shirt listings that have multiple sizes available.
Fact is those listings are made by desparate sellers in 3rd world countries, no one buys them and then they eventually give up.
pls-consignments
OP1 year agoActually I've found several that have sold 50-100 of them.
paladium66
·4 months agoHow messed up is that!
mam98031
·1 year agoWell that is not entirely true. There are plenty of sellers right here in the good ole USA.
fm2000
·1 year agoIt is kind of shocking, but there have been bootleg sticker and poster sellers posting on this forum, even admitting to printing the stickers etc. themselves.
If in the US, they could be hauled into court and financially skinned alive. Professional sports teams (especially the NFL I have been told) are extremely aggressive about that kind of thing, it is a great way to have one's life completely destroyed over some $3 stickers. I have no idea if they ever pursue anyone in the third world, though.
redmodelt
·1 year agoI just saw a piece on the AI stuff being sold at Hobby Lobby and couple of other B&M retailers.
mam98031
·1 year agoHow is it different from an NFT? Those aren't real pics either.
pls-consignments
OP1 year agoFrom what I've been reading, the difference is that an NFT is registered and placed on the "blockchain".. whatever that is? And an AI image does not. Upon other eBay searches, other AI images that were quite vulgar are also being sold. EBay is turning into the wild, wild west.
I'm getting too old to understand any of this.
mam98031
·1 year agoOh you are right. It is related to bitcoins. I forgot that part. But both are still just an electronic picture.
Unlikely to be solely something on Ebay.
dhbookds
·1 year agoOk, I see real pictures (dogs, people) turned into small resin (?) figures? Is that what you are talking about..... ?? Actually kind of interesting to me. What I saw solicited the picture from the buyer to make the figure, so I don't think copyright would apply...... Saw no mona lisa's.
pls-consignments
OP1 year agoHere is an example of what I'm referring to:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/364450887967
mam98031
·1 year agoSellers still have to meet the requirements of the Ebay policy regarding digitally delivered items.
https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/prohibited-restricted-items/digitally-delivered-goods-policy?id=4289
jameshen1
·1 year agoForget the copyright issue for a moment. I am a bit confused by what exactly is being sold. Would I be getting one image or all 6?
jonathanbrightlight
·1 year agoI can't tell either, but I did find this part of the description hilarious (especially considering it's a digitally delivered item from what I can tell):
"This original piece is signed by the artist and produced in 2023, making it a rare find for those seeking something truly unique."
roccotacodad54
·1 year agoWow. $100.00 ?
I looked at them and they are pretty cool for $2.50 MAYBE but $100.00 ?
I doubt they'll sell...................
grann-4629
·4 months ago@pls-consignments
That image probably took 30 seconds to create and the seller wants $100? It's not a scam but certainly proves that a sucker is born every second!
dhbookds
·1 year agodo you mean it's just a wall hanging type picture or it's a picture of an actual object they are trying to sell?
jonathanbrightlight
·1 year agoI mean, on the one hand, anyone could probably make it for free themselves.
But on the other hand, that applies to a ton of things people pay money for.
The possible reasons are numerous.
And you mentioned copyright, which is likely to change at some point but right now my understanding is that AI images cannot be copyrighted by anyone, making it legal to sell them, even if it might be stupid to buy them.
Besides, they may be offering them for sale but not actually succeeding in selling them. Even if they are, though, under current laws and eBay policies I'm not aware of any reason they can't or shouldn't be sold.
pls-consignments
OP1 year agoFrom what I've read about AI is that it uses pieces of pre-existing imagery scrubbed from the net, which are most likely copyrighted. I could be mistaken on both accounts.
jonathanbrightlight
·1 year agoIt's a bit more complicated in many cases, but that is an ongoing discussion. It's possible this will eventually be illegal, but for now it has not been ruled to be.