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First let me define what sort of pictures I am talking about. The images this post refers to are those you upload directly onto the EBAY site - for example the main image that you use in your listing.
This post does not refer to the hosted images
Ebay Tracking via pictures - reusing the same pictures / images in listings? - Free EBAY, PayPal, Business and Law Forums - Ebay Suspension, PayPal Limited
embedded within your auction listing. It is still a violation of EBAY policy if you use anyone else's hosted images. If your hosted image link is, for example, img21.imageshack.us/img40/4005/thused2.jpg , then obviously if someone tries to use that exact same URL and you report him, EBAY will shut the offender down.
(You cannot, however, stop someone from simply downloading your image, uploading it to their own imageshack account, and then using it in their own listing. The only way to stop that sort of image stealing is to embed using Photoshop some sort of proprietary name or logo into your image...for example the words MODEEWORLD across the bottom of the picture.)
Anyway...this post refers to the pictures you provide directly to EBAY for your auctions, during this step:
Anyway, August 31, 2009, eBay is instituting 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 his 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.
Since the default setting is opt-in, and eBay has not sent messages out about this, a lot of people are going to be caught off guard by this new policy.
Again, the default for this setting is YES, you have opted in. Meaning "Yes, I will allow eBay to make my photos available for anyone to use."
If you do not want eBay to make the photos you upload to all of your future auctions available to other users in a sort of catalog process, you need to go change your settings now, before August 31st. If you opt out after then, any photos you upload between the 31st and when you opt out will still be eligible for inclusion in their "catalog."
In order to opt out of this so-not-okay process, do the following.
1) Go to your eBay summary page ("My eBay").
2) On the left-hand side, there are three tabs that say "Activity," "Messages," and "Account." Hover over the "Account" tab.
3) A drop-down list will appear. Move your mouse down to "Site Preferences" and click.
4) You will be taken to a page with a list of site options for selling, shipping, and listing. About the sixth from the top is "Share your Photos." Click on the word "show" on the right hand side next to this option.
5) The box will expand, and if you are opted in, "yes" will appear. If you are opted out, "no" will appear. A small "edit" link will appear below the "show" link. If you want to change the settings, click "edit."
6) You will be taken to a new page with the following text: If you'd like to opt-out of this program, please do so by checking this box and clicking the "submit" button below.
(If you opt-out before August 31, 2009, none of your photos will be considered for inclusion in this program unless you opt back in at a later time. If you opt-out after August 31, 2009, any photos we select for inclusion in this program prior to your opt-out may continue to be used in the catalog)
7) If you want to opt out of the program, check the ticky box on the left-hand side next to the text, then go down and click the "submit" button.
8) You will go back to the settings screen you were just on, and there will be a green checkmark and a confirmation message. Go down to the "Share your Photos" option again and click "show." Your setting should now appear as "no."
It appears that this might not be affecting everyone, but I urge you to go check your settings anyway. Mine was defaulted to "yes." Maybe it's a browser thing, I don't know, but you should probably go make sure.
Of course, another way to prevent people from re-using your images - again - is to simply embed your EBAY username or some such into each picture you upload to EBAY, which adds a professional touch to everything you do anyway. No one is going to reuse images that have your name written in bold across them.
This post does not refer to the hosted images
Ebay Tracking via pictures - reusing the same pictures / images in listings? - Free EBAY, PayPal, Business and Law Forums - Ebay Suspension, PayPal Limited
embedded within your auction listing. It is still a violation of EBAY policy if you use anyone else's hosted images. If your hosted image link is, for example, img21.imageshack.us/img40/4005/thused2.jpg , then obviously if someone tries to use that exact same URL and you report him, EBAY will shut the offender down.
(You cannot, however, stop someone from simply downloading your image, uploading it to their own imageshack account, and then using it in their own listing. The only way to stop that sort of image stealing is to embed using Photoshop some sort of proprietary name or logo into your image...for example the words MODEEWORLD across the bottom of the picture.)
Anyway...this post refers to the pictures you provide directly to EBAY for your auctions, during this step:
Anyway, August 31, 2009, eBay is instituting 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 his 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.
Since the default setting is opt-in, and eBay has not sent messages out about this, a lot of people are going to be caught off guard by this new policy.
Again, the default for this setting is YES, you have opted in. Meaning "Yes, I will allow eBay to make my photos available for anyone to use."
If you do not want eBay to make the photos you upload to all of your future auctions available to other users in a sort of catalog process, you need to go change your settings now, before August 31st. If you opt out after then, any photos you upload between the 31st and when you opt out will still be eligible for inclusion in their "catalog."
In order to opt out of this so-not-okay process, do the following.
1) Go to your eBay summary page ("My eBay").
2) On the left-hand side, there are three tabs that say "Activity," "Messages," and "Account." Hover over the "Account" tab.
3) A drop-down list will appear. Move your mouse down to "Site Preferences" and click.
4) You will be taken to a page with a list of site options for selling, shipping, and listing. About the sixth from the top is "Share your Photos." Click on the word "show" on the right hand side next to this option.
5) The box will expand, and if you are opted in, "yes" will appear. If you are opted out, "no" will appear. A small "edit" link will appear below the "show" link. If you want to change the settings, click "edit."
6) You will be taken to a new page with the following text: If you'd like to opt-out of this program, please do so by checking this box and clicking the "submit" button below.
(If you opt-out before August 31, 2009, none of your photos will be considered for inclusion in this program unless you opt back in at a later time. If you opt-out after August 31, 2009, any photos we select for inclusion in this program prior to your opt-out may continue to be used in the catalog)
7) If you want to opt out of the program, check the ticky box on the left-hand side next to the text, then go down and click the "submit" button.
8) You will go back to the settings screen you were just on, and there will be a green checkmark and a confirmation message. Go down to the "Share your Photos" option again and click "show." Your setting should now appear as "no."
It appears that this might not be affecting everyone, but I urge you to go check your settings anyway. Mine was defaulted to "yes." Maybe it's a browser thing, I don't know, but you should probably go make sure.
Of course, another way to prevent people from re-using your images - again - is to simply embed your EBAY username or some such into each picture you upload to EBAY, which adds a professional touch to everything you do anyway. No one is going to reuse images that have your name written in bold across them.
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