Sick of people stealing my product images

[Mattie]

Yet another email has just gone out informing a Ebay business seller they are using my product images. I'm getting really fed up of people stealing my images to use on their websites, flyers, Ebay stores etc.

I have previously took people to court, and had their hosing companies close their websites down for copyright infringement and will happily do it again if needs be but so far this year a quick email notice normally works if not a solicitors letter does the trick

[Mattie]

this is the email I just got back from the seller

"I guess I will see you in court. "

he clearly doesn't think I will go through with it, well he is in for a shock

[Mattie]

@Justin just wondering if i'm allowed to name and shame as the seller has other images on his listings that may belong to someone else on the forum

[Paul]

I would....

[Justin]

I don't see any issues with this, as long as you have proof to back it up (which of course you do) then you're simply stating fact.

[Mattie]

thanks Justin just thought I better check first

http://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/2015_the_personal_touch?_trksid=p2047675.l2559 this is the seller using my images and refusing to remove them.

I have contacted Ebay and they are meant to be removing the images and as Ebay said possible lifetime ban, suspension of his account for a period of time.

I have also emailed my solicitor to send a infringement notice and if this doesn't work I will file the court claim

[soulclaimed]

Have to be careful with ebay I noticed a while back that ebay requires you to opt out of your images automatically being added to a catalogue of images for other members to use in their listings... totally rediculous concept

[Mattie]

I'm not selling on ebay. I never have and never will be honest as read a lot of bad things saying its not worth the hassle

[Justin]

How does the seller get away with copyright images from Frozen etc????

[Paul]

looks like fella is selling whatever he can pull off the google search... not a bit of his own personal work. all stolen stuff.

[Mattie]

He looks to be getting away with it all.

It really annoys me we all work very hard as small businesses and the likes of him just come along and steal designs etc expecting to make quick cash

[Gygafo]

I bet there would be one or two football clubs, film companies, and a few other organisations that would be interested in this seller! The problem as I see it is that people don't know what they are buying, who they are buying it from, cant tell quality from crap, and will but anything providing it's cheaper than what they have seen your product priced.

[ArferMo]

Most buyers don't give much of a hoot for who it's from or the quality in most cases. They just what whatever it is at the lowest price.

Whatever I'm after from fish food to wide format printers or solvent ink generally ebay is my first port of call.

I buy loads from ebay and I sort by lowest price first.... even if the price is several hundred pounds or 99 pence don't even care if it's going to take 3 weeks to get here from gundog or wherever just as long as it's a few pence cheaper.

[mr-gobby]

Although imitation a form of flattery I guess copying isn't. They are selling personalised stuff so you'd think they would have their own examples to show. Its true that most sort by price on eBay or by distance if looking to collect and see before parting with the cash. Keep us posted on progress.

[socialgiraffe]

Its all ripped off and knocked out cheap, there is no way they can be making a profit at £4.99 a mug when you take into consideration VAT, materials, ebay costs, postage costs and tax.

Personally Mattie I would send a threatening letter to Ebay as they are the publishers of the material.

[socialgiraffe]

If it were me, I would pay him a "nice" visit.....

http://thepersonaltouch1.com/epages/0d5fccbe-15b8-4464-9359-1861b15fdc18.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/0d5fccbe-15b8-4464-9359-1861b15fdc18/Categories/Imprint


Unless this is actually him LOL

http://www1.pictures.gi.zimbio.com/Ovill+McKenzie+Darren+Corbett+Prizefighter+rglboQo Oi3pl.jpg

[neilb]

Unless this is actually him LOL

http://www1.pictures.gi.zimbio.com/Ovill+McKenzie+Darren+Corbett+Prizefighter+rglboQo Oi3pl.jpg

No, but this is..
https://www.facebook.com/darren.corbett.925?fref=hovercard

[Mattie]

A solicitor letter should be in the post today to him.

Looks like I'll have to speak to ebay again as the images are still live and I was told they would be down in a couple of hours.

It annoys me as I'm spending my time chasing after people like him but if I need to go to court it all goes in my claim so he'll end up paying the cost

[Mattie]

well after having another heated discussion with Ebay they have finally removed the images and listings

[mrs maggot]

It always amazes me that the "have a similar item to sell" seems to allow them to then use the photo you have on your listing - which is just crazy

[Mattie]

that what ebay were trying to tell me, but as I kept trying to tell them numerous times I don't sell on ebay so the seller hadn't got my images from my ebay the had stolen them from my website. eventually the got the message

I had to speak to about 5 different people today email all the links for my website for the images he had stolen and then send proof I owned the website.

It's ridiculous I have to do so much to get them removed. I have since sorted out the watermark on my website so hopefully it doesn't happen again

[mrs maggot]

can you not protect your images from being lifted from the website, ie they cannot copy and save them ? not sure how it works, but it can be done - the only way they could get them then is a screen shot so the quality is terrible

[spongerobinson]

can you not protect your images from being lifted from the website, ie they cannot copy and save them ? not sure how it works, but it can be done - the only way they could get them then is a screen shot so the quality is terrible

You can disable right-click functionality using Javascript, but it's not good practice as is disables expected browser behaviour, and anybody that know's what they are doing will be able to get your images anyway. Most of the time, just disabling javascript will do it.

Unfortunately, a watermark is the only real solution in my opinion.

[Mattie]

Yeah tried the right click option and it did interfere with my website so went down the watermark option but then that broke the image popup on my product page so yesterday stuck at it and managed to fix it so now all images are protected

[mrs maggot]

we watermarked something on one of our websites a while ago, and a photoshopping friend, sent it over to me watermarkless - but it takes time and effort, so we hope people won't bother

[Mattie]

That's what I wondering about but I would say people who steal the images wouldn't have the brains to think of doing that.

I've had several emails from the seller since saying things like

"I'm a sad sad little man" and "get over it its life everyone does it"

Lets see how sad I am when he gets his solicitor letter in post for court, money well spent in my books

[Quinsfan]

Lets hope he gets one from Disney as well.

[phoenixalpha]

Contact the FA and inform them that they are selling fake branded products. They will go after them quickly.

[Mattie]

Lets hope he gets one from Disney as well.

I hope he does

[GoonerGary]

Get yourself a vero account, it took me while, but I got my solicitor to contact contact ebay's legal department and it seems to be going well now. I get stuff removed within 48 hrs now.

Give Rotherham Trading Standards a heads up on your counterfeiter, they would probably take more notice from your solicitor.

[rabb]

OMFG!! These folk are breaking all sorts of crazy a**e copyright law!

They clearly think they're beyond the reach of Disney & top European footy clubs. The minute they become noticed by marketing people their collective a**e will be served to them on a plate. It's really not worth it.

[catcapers]

Yes, the large image libraries make huge amounts of money by suing people for using their stuff for commercial ventures without paying. A friend of a friend used an image he found on Google to use on his travel website. He is now being chased for £1000 whereas the image would have cost around £20. He said he didn't know it "belonged" to anyone. Big companies have departments to deal with copyright issues and it's lucrative business for them but it's more difficult for ordinary individuals who don't have a lot of clout.

[rabb]

Yes, Getty images have a full department dedicated to this. I must state now that I do believe in the concept of copyright and fully support the reasons why!

I had a friend caught out by this for the same reason (put an image on a website) but the "fine" was never paid. It should be noted that receiving a "penalty notice" from anyone other than a court is merely a speculative invoice or in simpler terms demanding monies by menace. He simply stated that he had taken the image offline and that it was an honest mistake. He also told them he would not converse with them unless they came back with a court order.

They never did.



Yes, the large image libraries make huge amounts of money by suing people for using their stuff without paying for commercial ventures. A friend of a friend used an image he found on Google to use on his travel website. He is now being chased for £1000 whereas the image would have cost around £20. He said he didn't know it "belonged" to anyone. Big companies have departments to deal with copyright issues but it's more difficult for ordinary individuals who don't have a lot of clout.