09-27-2017 12:58 PM
Hi, my first time using the eBay Community - hopefully some of you will be able to advise me and point me in the right direction.
Unfortunately I have discovered another member has screen shot images from my listing to use on their own listing. I have found this very frustrating as I spent money, time and effort in taking good photos of actual items I have for sale.
I do appreciate that other sellers will be selling the same items as me and at different prices, and I can understand that a lot of the images will look the same when using manufacturers images, but to search, find and steal my photos from my listing and upload to your own is rude, uncalled for and downright lazy!
Anyhow does anyone know if I am allowed to include my business card in the back ground of my pictures or tucked in next to my items to show my logo? I am aware that watermarks are not allowed any more but would this be classed as a watermark?
I have tried to contact eBay direct to ask them this but I can't seem to find a contact link that actually lets me make any contact, hence my new found eBay community !
Also so I have reported the stolen images to eBay but am yet to get a response.
Thanks for reading!
09-27-2017 01:49 PM - edited 09-27-2017 01:50 PM
Message the user who used the photos and let them know they are your photos and ask them to please remove them. I did the same and the seller removed same day. Give the seller some time to remove. If that doesn't work, you can report the listing to eBay.
FYI your photos from eBay can wind up on google photos, etc. by natural means and people can find them there.
eBay is going to ban watermarks soon so the business card thing may also be prohibited in the near future.
Also eBay is going to claim ownership of any photos sellers take and upload in the near future.
09-27-2017 04:35 PM
stoneledge wrote:eBay is going to ban watermarks soon so the business card thing may also be prohibited in the near future.
Adding the business card has been prohibited for a while now:
https://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/picture.html
Not Allowed: Adding additional text, artwork, or marketing to photos
09-27-2017 04:41 PM
Tell them they are using your copywrited images , that usually works.
09-27-2017 06:14 PM
09-27-2017 08:22 PM
In 2018 watermarks will no longer be allowed in ebay photo's. Using others photo's is open game.
09-27-2017 11:36 PM
@stoneledge wrote:
Also eBay is going to claim ownership of any photos sellers take and upload in the near future.
That is not entirely accurate. No one is giving up their copyrights on their own pictures to eBay just by uploading them here. If that was true, then I would not be able to legally reuse my own pictures on other venues after I remove them from here.
All that is likely happening is that we are granting eBay the privilege to use our images as needed, short of making prints of them to resell. You will still own the rights to your own works. The no watermarks thing is because of a "mandate" from Google for items showing up in Google Shopping.
09-27-2017 11:43 PM
Also, not all images are copyrighted by the seller. After all, if I had a print of some piece of art that I did not create, I only have copyright on the picture of the print (and perhaps not even that since it likely would not be considered an original work, but a derivative work of the original). The artist still holds the copyright on the actual art. The seller can't give eBay ownership, because it is not his to give away.
09-28-2017 02:40 AM
Thanks, it's nice to know I'm not the only one. I think I will message the seller and let them know I know they have used my pictures and hopefully they remove them!
09-28-2017 02:43 AM
Thanks for reply, think I will just have to try my best to ignore the thief and accept I can't add my business name to picture.
09-28-2017 03:41 AM
09-28-2017 05:37 AM
@rubyandwilliamonline wrote:Thanks, it's nice to know I'm not the only one. I think I will message the seller and let them know I know they have used my pictures and hopefully they remove them!
Are you opted into sending your photos to the ebay catalog? If so, anyone can use them.
And soon, everyones photos will be in the ebay catalog and the opt-out gone from the settings.
09-28-2017 05:44 AM
09-28-2017 05:45 AM
09-28-2017 09:34 AM
Have read that they consider this going against the spirit of the rules.
This from a blue explaining it.