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Foreign Bootleg Sellers Stealing my Watermarked Photos
 

Is there anything I can do about this? They're stealing my photos that have been watermarked. I've been dealing with this for a while now. At first I watermarked them with my user name. When they kept stealing them I started watermarking them with "SHIPS FROM USA" but stopped tagging them with that because I thought it would make ME look like a drop shipper/foreign seller.

I called eBay about it but basically they told me if I wasn't a VERO member there wasn't much I could do. I've messaged the seller stealing the photos and surprise, surprise... no response either.

It's frustrating but the funny thing is the one's they've been stealing recently are marked with SHIPS FROM USA and the item location is in Indonesia.

Re: Foreign Bootleg Sellers Stealing my Watermarked Photos
 

Doesn't sound like theres anything left to do about it.
Maybe place your ebay name on the pictures (if its not already on it)? And if it is - free publicity from your competitors - not a bad thing...?
Just trying to see the silver lining.

Re: Foreign Bootleg Sellers Stealing my Watermarked Photos
 

There is an effective way to deal with people stealing your photos.

Serve a formal notice of Claimed Infringement to eBay's Legal Department in San Jose. Send it return receipt requested or by FedEx.

The NOCI is basically a legal demand letter that will force eBay's hand, they WILL be forced to deal with it and remove the other members content.

If you need the right forms, you can get them at your courthouse or from a site like Legalzoom.

Re: Foreign Bootleg Sellers Stealing my Watermarked Photos
 

or send the form filled in but not sent to the seller

Re: Foreign Bootleg Sellers Stealing my Watermarked Photos
 

I've also been told eBay can't do anything in these types of situations. That's simply a bunch of crap.

It's all about using the correct documents and wording. I have access to a paralegal and legal forms for a lot less than what a lawyer would cost.

Most people want to take the easy route and phone eBay to complain about a competitor using their pictures or products, and that rarely yields effective results.

Re: Foreign Bootleg Sellers Stealing my Watermarked Photos
 

Can't OP simply register with the Vero program and take down the listings?

Re: Foreign Bootleg Sellers Stealing my Watermarked Photos
 

People copy my entire listings all the time, and I'm usually able to get them taken care of just by clicking "report listing".

Tried that, OP? Slim chance but it's a little easier than any of your alternatives.

Re: Foreign Bootleg Sellers Stealing my Watermarked Photos
 

I haven't done that in years. Do they still let you enter the reason for reporting?

Re: Foreign Bootleg Sellers Stealing my Watermarked Photos
 

They do. The categories they give you to choose from aren't as specific as they used to be, but it still works for me.

Re: Foreign Bootleg Sellers Stealing my Watermarked Photos
 

@phaz0rz:


Can't OP register with Vero and take down the listings that are stealing his pics?

Re: Foreign Bootleg Sellers Stealing my Watermarked Photos
 

I've never tried, but yankee has been saying for years that will work. It's never been that much of a concern for me.

Re: Foreign Bootleg Sellers Stealing my Watermarked Photos
 

Really? eBay won't do anything? I guess something must have changed since the last time I did it, but I just reported the seller, show them that it even has my watermark and name and their listings get removed.

Re: Foreign Bootleg Sellers Stealing my Watermarked Photos
 

thought we weren't allowed to use watermarks anymore?

Re: Foreign Bootleg Sellers Stealing my Watermarked Photos
 

I and a bunch of other sellers in my category use watermarks with no disturbance at all!! If you want to use watermarks, I would say go ahead, but don't be too aggressive. Make them somehow mild and unnoticeable.

Re: Foreign Bootleg Sellers Stealing my Watermarked Photos
 

Hell, people in your category are using straight up text in their pics! I used to, in that category, back in the day.

Re: Foreign Bootleg Sellers Stealing my Watermarked Photos
 

Wow. This is an eBay/paypal limitation forum. Everyone here has much bigger problems than "someone is copying my photos"

Re: Foreign Bootleg Sellers Stealing my Watermarked Photos
 

You should go to a cancer hospital and tell the nurse you need a doctor fast because you have a hangover and need aspirin.

Re: Foreign Bootleg Sellers Stealing my Watermarked Photos
 

Speak for yourself. Tens of thousands of members here and most of us are well past dealing with suspensions.