eBay is at it again

[tikistitch]

Oh, eBay, you always find new and creative ways to annoy!

Anyways, great post about eBay letting other sellers "share" your auction photos:

http://naamah-darling.livejournal.com/411410.html

Warning: eBay will be using photos without creators' permission.
Via apocalypticbob:

Starting on August 31st, eBay is going to institute a new policy where photos you upload to any listing are put into a "catalog" of online images that any eBay user can then use for their own listings. The default setting for this is opt-in, which is a problem if you, like me, consider your photographs your property and want to control how they are used and by whom. A copyright notice is posted with a link to your user profile, but no additional information is given, and the link is quite small....

If you read the whole thing, it gives very clear directions on how to opt out of this stupidity.

I've been really lazy about reading all of eBay's updates of late, but after reading this, I found out I was opted IN to eBay letting people "share" my auction photos. I changed that. I just think it's criminally misleading to post pictures of stuff you don't own. Even if you post a zillion disclaimers, a lot of people are lazy and don't really read the descriptions.

Comments

[lostlain.livejournal.com]

I don't have an ebay account, but I still find this a terrible idea. They might be trying to make it easier for people who don't own cameras, but if your product has flaws that the one in the photo doesn't, that's (as you pointed out) misleading!
I don't know how they didn't see that, or at least, consider it poignant enough not to go through with that idea...

[tikistitch.livejournal.com]

You don't do eBay? You are a smartie!

And don't even get me started on the whole intellectual property part of this. Blah. Weasels.

[twotone]

Wow, freaky. I logged in and found that I was set up as having opted out (i.e. mine was set to NO). When I clicked on "edit", I got taken to a page saying "click on this box to opt out", with the box already checked for me. That... seems really unnecessarily confusing.

[tikistitch.livejournal.com]

Some of the folks who replied to Naahmah's post were apparently also already opted out. I think it's at least worth checking, though I guess you gotta be careful not to opt yourself in by mistake! Geez.

[sinderellah.livejournal.com]

Seriously I REALLY can't find this option! I need a visual step by step or soemthing because I honestly can't find it. The sixth option in My Ebay site settings is buyer requirements (in .ca) and Logos and Branding (in .com) :(

[tikistitch.livejournal.com]

They might not be doing it in Canada. A friend in UK said it's not in the preferences there.

[blowdry.livejournal.com]

It's telling me, "Your Preferences are not available at this time," when I go to click on the box to opt out. Finally got it to work. >:| Will keep trying. Why does eBay continue to do stupid shit?

[tikistitch.livejournal.com]

I think they're trying to just see how much stupid they can pile up before they totally bankrupt the company.

[guitar-stitch.livejournal.com]

Alternatively, just include something in your photo to identify it as yours... ALWAYS. For instance, I've always taken to including a cardboard sign with my Ebay username on it. Helps with credibility, informs people that the item in the picture is THE ITEM they are bidding on, and reduces photo theft.