Stealing pictures.

[inhawaii]

I'm not sure what the current rules are on watermarking photos. I think it has changed a few times.  But if you're going to steal and use another seller's pictures for your own listing,  why wold you steal and use pictures with the other sellers username on the photo? 

This  has happened to me twice on the same item!  I never report it because i don't think ebay cares/enforces photo stealing. 

But with the hundreds, if not thousands of pictures out there, why use one with your competitors username all over it?

[7606dennis]

Since eBay gave themselves the non-exclusive rights to use any material a member uploads to the site, they have offered their catalog to sellers and with it use of the materials uploaded to the site included.  Of course, if that material includes watermarks those would show if the material is used.

That is probably why eBay doesn't want to allow watermarks.  

[hurryagain]

Yup!  Others are now allowed to use pics that others post on this site.  No more rights to your pics.

The other seller is stupid for using yours if it has your watermark on it.  Just think of it as free advertising!!!

[toyetictoys]

I've actually had this happen to me a couple of times; although, none of my images are watermarked.

In the first scenario, a Chinese seller took one of my sold items and copied my entire listing.  The seller priced the item at an extremely low buy-it-now price.  On their listing they had a handling time that exceeded 30 days or something to that effect -- extremely long.  This is a scam where seller's prey on customers who think they're getting a great deal ... when in reality, the seller does not have the item and usually delete's their account before the customer is able to file an item not received case.  The buyer is still protected through paypal, but I'm pretty sure the scam seller is able to make off with money.  I reported the listing to eBay's fraud department and they took the listing down.

In the second scenario, I sold an item and the buyer ended up re-selling the same item a couple of weeks later.  They used my original listing photos and slightly changed the description.  It is what it is.

[lex-talon]

This  has happened to me twice on the same item!  I never report it because i don't think ebay cares/enforces photo stealing. 

It's perfectly ok with eBay. What puzzles me is the fact the seller chose your photos out of thousands out there.

IMO, you take good pictures.

[hurryagain]

...oh wait!  I guess we can't calling it "stealing" anymore if eBay allows it...

...whatever...

...unbelievable...

[inhawaii]

[sin-n-dex]

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@inhawaii wrote:

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That's very eye catching. I like it.

C.

[inhawaii]

Is that why people are stealing it, because it's pretty?

But what about the fact that my username is on it?

I was hoping that might deter theft, but i guess not. 

[richard1rst]

Your user name is really not that large and I think the eye is drawn to the candy bar so it is easy to overlook the name. Or just remove it.

.

[inhawaii]

I could totally understand if they removed it ... but they left it there!  LOL

[hurryagain]

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@inhawaii wrote:

Is that why people are stealing it, because it's pretty?

But what about the fact that my username is on it?

I was hoping that might deter theft, but i guess not. 

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@inhawaii 

Actually, after seeing your pretty picture...I hate to tell you that your ID name is a plus to the other seller(s) who are thieving your pic.  You well know that anything with or "In" Hawaii in it is a big plus and the candy is sold in Hawaii so buyers are not going to equate your seller ID as a different seller...they are going to equate it with "oh!  It's from Hawaii or it's sold in Hawaii...

...gotta be the first time your seller ID worked against you huh?...

...so sorry...

[sapphireseal]

Even if eBay "allows" it, it's not right to use someone else's work.   Sorry that happened to you!  

"Back in the day" people used to have to host their own photos.  And if they found someone else using the photo, they would often replace the photo (using the same path), and the photo-thief would end up with a photo in their auction saying "SO-AND-SO IS A BANDWIDTH THIEF!"   Or sometimes people would replace the photo with a pic of something adult.  That usually got a quick reaction.

[inhawaii]

That's it!  I'm changing my username to:  toenail_fungus

[richard1rst]

 Now THAT'S a watermark: