I checked eBay's rules about intellectual property and was dumbfounded by what I found.
First of all, there are so many links to follow that I felt like giving up. One has to opt out of a program in which eBay can add your photos to their catalog for other sellers to use. I can't even find the catalog to see if any of my other pictures are in there. I checked my preferences and apparently I am already opted out.
I'm not going to waste space here copying the text of eBay's skewed policy so here is the link.
What I want to know is where is this catalog? I did a search for 'doll' in their catalog and came up with nothing so how did this seller find my picture? He claimed that was where he got it.
I have sold books and cameras and the eBay system offered images and text for those items but I have never been offered a picture of a doll. Maybe the jerky seller thinks my Flickr account is an eBay catalog.
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| Meaningless, random, cute elephant image. |
Terri I just needed to say that I'm annoyed by people who steal your wonderful photos like this. I'm also in disbelief over the nonsense you're dealing with on the doll divas board because of your litte repainter friend over there. he is carrying his immaturity onto the board with his whole 'mutts' discussion and is taking a stab at your last FDQ article. Remember that not everyone follows him and his followers blindly and we agree with you that sometimes a repaint doesn't make a doll better. especially when a doll is perfect as it is. Anyone who thinks they are above it all like yhis certain repaint artist are just immature baboons. I find it humorous that unlike you, who contain your opinions to your own blog, some people have to make a public spectacle like he did. Everyone knows he is taking a shot at you so as always Terri, thank you for being the bigger person and taking the high road and being the honest person you are. For the record, his repaints all look the same...ho hum and boring because he uses templates. Just fyi!
ReplyDeletethanks, Terri. i never would have known about this. i don't upload to their site anyway (use my own host) but they count on their behemoth status to run over the little people all the time
ReplyDeletethank you terri... that is very helpful.
ReplyDeleteI think a question to consider is intellectual property in the public domain. I am curious what makes "stealing your picture" more or less of an offense than stealing Daryl Hannah and Tom Hanks movie stills as used and uncredited in this blog?
ReplyDeleteOr even the elephant in this ebay post.
What bothers you more, that someone used your image (an image of something you do not own the intellectual property rights to in the first place) or the fact the ebay makes it impossible to ever find an answer to a simple question.
Lastly, of late your blog posts have been a bit on the snarky side, and less on the doll side. Of course I happen to love snarky...but, as they say in Jerz "just sayin'"
Oh, dear! ...and what on earth?! Well, thanks for the info, Terri. Sheesh!
ReplyDeleteBTW this post is all three: cool, interesting AND funny!
@Erick: The photograph I created and signed is my intellectual property. I do own the rights to it.
ReplyDeleteYou are right about the use of the Daryl and Tom stills. The difference is that I am not using the images for profit.
EBay does make it impossible to find answers but more than that, there are new twists and turns that make it impossible to determine one's status regarding options.
Thank you for your post.
Terri
@Terri:
ReplyDeleteSo, I spent a half hour trying to find this illustrious catalog of images... I even looked for images while creating a listing, and alas I can find not images. Yours or public. Flickr does not allow right clicking, I wonder if blogger has the same feature? Hmmm
The more I think of it, I am curious if the person who used your image was an honest seller?
@Erick:
ReplyDeleteI also tried while creating a listing and there was no catalog or offer of pictures. I asked another Greek collector to help. Perhaps we will find out. The auction is down with no explanation.
Terri
sry but i have to agree with the first person who posted. i am sorry you were victimized on that particular board with that whole mutts discussion. that particular repainter is known for his petty and vindictive behavior but unfortunately he has a small group of followers who also like to victimize people when ever someone crosses his highness. just know that there are many, many of us talking about how bad his actions have been and karma is a huge bitch. keep doing what you do best terri and don't ever change for anyone.
ReplyDeleteTerri,
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry you have had this happen. I greatly admire your photos and this is indeed stealing on the part of these people who have used your photos. I just hope that you had better support from Ebay, than I have had this past two months. When I called them about a problem caused by a vandictive buyer, they put me on hold for over 45 minutes yesterday. I finally smartened up and hung up. No one cares about the sellers. I had a buyer not pay for over two weeks, I warned her that I was relisting, I relisted after checking with ebay and getting the go aahead ( they deny this), then she had another buyer pay, AFTER two of these items were bid on by another buyer. I refunded her money and then she gave me four negatives and a positive that was a negative. She ruined my 100% on ebay, that I had for over four years. I called five times to talk to someone and got nowhere. Was put on hold and hung up on three or four times. I am looking for another way to sell my doll items,I have some great stuff. I am seeing that Ebay is not a good place to sell, ie their attitude toward the sellers stinks! Good luck with your problem.
I did not mean to dump this on you, your site is well done and I thank-you for being an honest and creative support to the doll collecters at large. Thanks!!!!
Linda Kriegbaum
@Erick...as for Flicker and right clicking-there is a way around that. Ha. All you have to do is register on Flicker and then you will be able to "email" any picture posted there to your email account. The picture shows up in your emal and then you CAN right click on it and save it to your PC etc. Not saying I DO this, I have no use for others pictures just saying there always seems to be around safety points.
ReplyDelete