eBay wants me to remove my logo from my images - NEVER!

[mxdude!]

So, eBay now wants us to remove our logo from my product images. The images we invested a lot of time and money in and which are therefore copyrighted, eBay now wants to offer our competitors to use for free. All in the name of clarity for eBay buyers.

How can they think we will/can agree to that? We won't. Our competitors would be lauging very hard when they can use our images. We will have our listings taken down the moment eBay starts enforcing that policy rule, and we will expand our webshop efforts. eBay has been pushing us too much lately, this is where we draw the line.

Any thoughts? Let me know. 

[mxdude!]

Exactly. I think one will only understand, if one makes their own images. We have have better images than our competitors, so they will enjoy using ours. And in the end, eBay is going to charge money, for using our images. Not gonna happen.

[mxdude!]

Oh, we make money here. And we will loose money since we're leaving eBay. But we increased webshop sales with 22% and eBay sales went down with 19% in the last year, due to specific efforts. If we can continue that way, I'm positive to get eBay sales compensated.  

[poppyswag]

This is just another example of how art ( a sellable talent, in this case a photo) has become "content" on the web. Ask any recording artist that isn't a mega seller how downloading music has worked out for their pocket.

People used to be called citizens, now we are all consumers.  

[*eponymous*]

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@mxdude! wrote:

Oh, we make money here. And we will loose money since we're leaving eBay. But we increased webshop sales with 22% and eBay sales went down with 19% in the last year, due to specific efforts. If we can continue that way, I'm positive to get eBay sales compensated.  

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So you're leaving for a reason other than watermarking.

[gymbo_limbo]

I believe this move by eBay may cost me money and is definitely costing me time but one has to roll and adapt with the rules and changes unfortunately. There's always resistance with the updates but you either conform or drop out. I have more than 800 images (1200 actually if each listing gets 3 pictures) to retake by myself.

[coolections]

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@mxdude! wrote:

Correct, we won't win. eBay makes the rules in this; we have made the decision to quit due to this. 

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Good Luck !!!!

[janet9988]

Take bad pictures for ebay sales. 

Use your good, watermarked pictures for you own site sales.  LOL

[mxdude!]

No.

[mxdude!]

Something like that could be an option.

[auctionpet]

I've looked at your photos. Your logo is so far from the pix in many instances that it could easily be cropped out. Yours really isn't a watermark, but text, which ebay made against policy years ago.

[johnwhiplash]

Put stickers on your items with the logo on them, then the logo will become part of the item and not a watermark.

[ebbyisme]

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@johnwhiplash wrote:

Put stickers on your items with the logo on them, then the logo will become part of the item and not a watermark.

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Saw someone relate that Ebay somewhere  (FB? or the weekly meeting) said that would be violating the spirit of the rule....

Also I distinctly remember reading a draft or a proposal or the first release of this rule that said something along the lines that eBay can use your photos for their catalog or for any for profit or advertisement use they decide......  so not only can others use it, eBay can sell them for profit in some way... for free..... but I haven't seen this part of the policy again.... so not sure it is still part of the policy that will be enacted.

[richard1rst]

If only a few sellers refuse to comply they can easily be slapped down and eBay can work around a few holdouts.

BUT what if EVERYONE refused to comply? If EVERY picture from EVERY seller has a watermark what is eBay to do? Shut us all down? Something about spiting your face comes to mind.

[castlemagicmemories]

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@jonathankirkland wrote:

I guess my personal preferences are in the minority then because I simply will NOT buy any items that have stock photos only.

I want to see the exact condition and details of what I am buying.

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I don't care for stock photos either.  IMO they either show the product as better than it is, or not as good as it is, so I don't think they are accurate.

A "real" photo of the actual item, which is what you like, shows you the true reality.  Hopefully.

[mistwomandancing]

OK... You're in charge of notifying all of eBay millions of sellers that they now have to watermark all their listing photos.