posted on July 3, 2002 03:25:19 PM new
Okay, it finally happened to me, and the day after my 1000th feedback no less...
Someone took an auction listing on mine and copied it virtually word for word in thier own auction. They did not steal any pictures ( or they would have porn in thier listing now (g), just the very long and very detailed text from an auction ad I spent about 6 hours writing and have sold from for over a year now and have running myself now.
Help - what should I do? Guy has 86+fb, so it's not a newbie. Any ideas appreciated as I am so angry and frustrated......
posted on July 3, 2002 03:43:22 PM newImitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Everyone is wide open for this event. That's why I never spend more than a few minutes on an auction description that other sellers may borrow from me.
posted on July 3, 2002 04:06:43 PM new
Just went through his other listings and found the jerk ripped of TWO MORE!
I found the link on Ebay to report him and am doing that for each one now. These were auctions for marketing tapes and videos that I had to spend hours with pen in hand taking careful notes to write a good description and he just cut-n-pasted. Hope there's a special place in he!! for those people...
As a pro photographer, I am more sensitive than many to theft of my work as it has cost my family thousands of dollars in the last few years with people stealing my portraits and selling copies, so this is a REAL TOUCHY subject with me and has me riled up big time!
posted on July 3, 2002 04:21:01 PM new
Don't expect a lot of action out of eBay. There are millions of auctions running and only a relatively small handful of workers to police them. Good luck.
posted on July 3, 2002 05:02:03 PM new
( birdpix ) I think I just read your discription in question. I believe it is a little long I see nothing pornographic in the mag cover. What is it you were afraid of.
most people would give up before scrolling all the way down to the bid form.
posted on July 4, 2002 08:55:08 AM new
Looks like you copied the text for the tickets to the theme park that you sold. Don't worry about the small stuff, I have had people copy off of me, no big deal just move on. Some of you description are a bit long and may turn off some bidders. Some thing require an extensive description but overkill on some is just as damaging. Anyway have geta 4th everybody
posted on July 4, 2002 03:22:22 PM new
As a pro photographer, I am more sensitive than many to theft of my work as it has cost my family thousands of dollars in the last few years with people stealing my portraits and selling copies, so this is a REAL TOUCHY subject with me and has me riled up big time!
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I realize none of us like to see anything of ours stolen..but I found the above statement confusing after looking at your auctions. I see a John Denver mousepad..but even if you took the picture yourself, I am pretty darn sure that you are not one of the very few businesses that were given permision to sell items with his likeness (I've seen a list). I have recently been talking with someone who is trying to get permission for shirts, and she was told no one was given permission for mousepads with John Denvers likeness, and with the amount of royalties they want, it's not likely to happen to someone who sells them so cheap. Just something I'm curious about..who knows, maybe you are one of those really big companies who can afford to pay 3/4 of your asking price for the use of JD's likeness. Some of your other mousepad pics I've seen elsewhere also (books/mags), not that I care..just mentioning it because of your own outrage. And of course this is all assuming that you use this AW name for your auctions...maybe it's not even you.
