How should I take this? lol

[chindoun]

I just saw one of my listing photos on another sellers listing? Should I be mad or flattered? lol

Is there an implied copyright on pictures? 

Thanks all. I'm not bent out of shape over it. I just think it's pure laziness on other sellers part.

[solidguitar1961]

Ebay now allows people to do that.

[heckofagame]

I once had another seller use my entire listing, not just the pics. 

[heckofagame · Accepted solution]

What should I do if my image, video or text is being used by another seller?

When you create listings you give eBay and its customers permission, through our User Agreement, to use your images, videos and product details. Your content may be added to the eBay product catalog, and may be used by other sellers in their eBay listings.

[gwens*4saleitems*]

I saw that once with some of my photos. I just wrote to that seller and told them that it's not cool to use someone else's pictures.

Besides, what if the person buying "said item" see something other than what the pictures show !?!?!?!? Then you've got a NAD case.  Not cool !!

[pjcdn2005]

But does that suggest only that the image etc can be used if it is added to the ebay catalogue?

[heckofagame]

I think that may have been the original intention, but that does not seem to be how it is going. 

[bennotbill]

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@pjcdn2005 wrote:

But does that suggest only that the image etc can be used if it is added to the ebay catalogue?

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That's the way I've always seen it. After all it would be daft to have pictures of somebodies used items in the wondrous catalogue. Or any copyrighted manufacturers pictures.

The bottom line is that eBay can't be bothered doing a lot of things that they once did. Especially if it saves them money.

[lamber9347]

@chindoun You should be flattered!! Turn it into a joke and think to yourself- 'I take such awesome photos that strangers copy them to use for their own listings. I am the best ever!!' LOL, why not laugh it off. Best of luck to you.... 

[chindoun]

Thanks everyone for your comments. I didn't know an ebay catalog existed. lol How do I find it? 

Thank you all again.

[gurlcat]

May I ask what the item is, and are we talking new or used?  

I can't think of any harm done to the person whose images get used by others, but it definitely can be a problem for buyers.  Case in point: I use Seresto flea collars, which are very expensive at retail but you can find people selling them here for considerably less, like maybe they lost their pet but still have unopened collars, or I suppose pet store customers/employees who stole them to resell, wouldn't surprise me.  But the problem is, these are popular and valuable enough that there are Chinese fakes, which don't work at all and allegedly may even be harmful.  And twice out of the 5 or 6 times I've bought them here, they were fake.  The first time was the very first time I bought one here and didn't even know there were fakes so I just bought the lowest-priced one.  After that I learned to look for listings that aren't suspiciously cheap, have good seller feedback, and most importantly: have SELF-TAKEN photos, not stock images.  But this one I bought not too long ago DID have all those criteria including front and back photos of the package on a towel ... but what arrived was an El Fake-o, didn't even look like the packaging in the photo.  So that was obviously a "borrowed" image chosen specifically to deceive. 

Another case scenario: I bought a popular designer vintage jewelry piece (to resell because I knew I could make a nice profit over this seller's price), but the one that arrived had cosmetic flaws that the one in the photos did not.  The seller was actually very sorry and honest about it, admitted she used another seller's photos because she didn't know how to upload images from her camera. 

[chocolate752011]

Yes, I know what you mean I have had other sellers use my photos and it does upset me because I take time to get the right light and position and get the best photos for my store because good photos sell and my background is all the same colors so buyers know my store , I was actually contacted by a buyer for  a replacement on a pair of earring because they though they purchase it from me only to realized it was another seller that had used my photos!

Unfortunately, eBay does not do anything about it anymore, they used too though. What I have done now is contact the sellers and ask them to please remove my photo from their store because they never asked permission to do so in the first place, if not they will be reported to eBay and most time they do remove it. But others that are old timers don't because they know eBay will not do anything about it.

Yes, I guess being flattered is the right approach and a positive way to look at it.

And your absolutely right it is pure laziness on their part.

[albertabrightalberta]

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@heckofagame wrote:

I think that may have been the original intention, but that does not seem to be how it is going. 

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Originally, sellers who opted out of the catalog didn't give permission to have their work used by others. 

But ebay hasn't enforced that option because they're too lazy to see if the seller has opted in or out.