Images stolen by other seller - No help from Ebay

[ink-shop-india]

I am posting this message on this forum because I am sure all the people who matter on ebay reads the posts here.
This is regarding stealing of my images by another seller and frustrating response and handling of the matter from person concerned from ebay.

A few months back, I listed an item. For the item description, I clicked images of the item and the images included my laptop, mobile phone and furniture for illustration of usage of the item. The items was even featured on daily deal and sold around 250 units in a day. Later that listing was ended as the item was out of stock.

Sometime back I discovered another seller using the images for his own listing for similar item. He had removed my watermark and put his own. I emailed ebay regarding this. They asked me to give item no from which the listing was copied. However since my listing ended more than 2 months back, the item was not visible.

I told ebay person that I can prove that the images are my own. I have the full size unwatermarked raw images from my camera, which only the owner of the image can have. I can send more pictures of the other items and furniture used in the photograph, which will further prove that the images are my own. I offered to send this to ebay to help them decide the matter. I also advised the person to ask the other seller to provide the full resolution images if he is the owner of the images.

However it seems that the person handling the matter had no idea how digital imaging works and he kept on insisting that since my listing ended more than 2 months back, he can’t do anything about it. This is really frustating.

I am posting this message now, because I have received the item back in stock and going to relist it with the images. What if the other seller claims that I have stolen his images? How frustrating can it get? He is still using the images with impunity.

I am sure that someone who can interfere and get justice done is reading this message. I am not posting the name of the other seller or details about the item concerned. If someone from eBay wants to have more information, please email on my registered email id. Thank You.

[rhtdm.6624]

Dear ink-shop-india,

Its ok forgot it because copy paste ka jamana aaya hai...Everybody like to do same thing now a days....

Thanks
Vilas

[16to60]

Its not really that difficult.
Go ahead and list that item again with your images with watermark. After that you report matter again to Trust and safety team in a mail, with original unaltered imaged clicked by you. These images will have image info, which will prove that you took those images before other seller had listed item.

Most probably TNS will remove the listing or warn other seller. You can also talk with other seller and advise him to change the images Or explain the consequences. If he will be of sound reasoning he will not go to all extra hassles of TNS simply for a couple of images.

Worst case you put other guys id and listing numbers here on Board. That may be the last resort.

Regards

Sunil

Linus Studios

[ink-shop-india]

If I list that item again, the new listing would be created after the stealer's listing. And as per the funny logic of ebay, his listing pictures would be seen as genuine. I guess ebay has forgot that listings end after maximum 30 days if its not good till cancelled.

I have already messaged the other seller, but he has not responded. Worse, he claimed to ebay tns that he has taken the images from net and not stolen from my listing, althogh I have proof that the images are my own. But TNS person has not idea about raw image files, image data and all to decide whether my claim is true or not.

It takes lot of effort to get good images done and if people freely steal images, then why would anyone take effort to get good images for his own listing.

And the worst part , the stealer is a powerseller with more than 10000 feedbacks. Shame on him for doing such a thing.