Warning: eBay will be using photos without creators' permission

[gwh11]

Hey all,
I found this on another board, and just wanted to spread the word here.

Some might care, some not, but in any event it could be important to know. Check out this text, and accompanying instructions, that are making the rounds of the web right now. I've made the appropriate changes myself already:

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.

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 flat-footed 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. I've broken it down exhaustively. Hopefully your eBay pages look like mine.

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."

I am sure that this will be a useful feature for some people, for some items, but the automatic opt-in is not okay with me at all, as I don't want my photographs used to illustrate someone else's auction for a different item, not for any reason whatsoever.

Guy

[metsbats]

Thanks for that valuable info Guy.

I just opt-ed out.

This is just another example of how ebay is providing dishonest people another vehicle for fraud. We've seen it in the past where scam artists listing items from major auction houses. Now they can pick off photos from other sellers on ebay.

[allstarsplus]

Thanks. In the past, other sellers couldn't use your photos in their listing as it was a violation.

[rose14]

I wish Ebay could provide one legitimate reason for doing this. I can't think of one. Too much potential for fraud.

[TriplexXxSports]

If you decide to do this with your eBay preferences, please make sure that it shows that you opted out. Don't just assume you have because you click 'submit'. I had to contact eBay via phone for the preferences to update.

[godwulf]

I wish Ebay could provide one legitimate reason for doing this. I can't think of one. Too much potential for fraud.

It has become a cliche, but it fits here - follow the money.

EBay's Number One Priority is generating sales, and this will obviously be a popular move among Sellers and potential Sellers who either don't have a working digital camera or scanner, or are too lazy or stupid to use one.

That it facilitates fraud and misrepresentation is a relatively unimportant factor to them, as that doesn't impact them negatively - as I'm sure a cost analysis has shown them - in a financial way, as much as instituting the new policy will affect them positively by increasing sales among the aforementioned demographic.

One thing Buyers can do, of course, is to refuse to bid on items whose listings contain "borrowed" photos, and let the Seller know that you want to see a photo of the actual listed item.

[fabes23]

Do yourselves a favor and HANDWRITE your ebay name and the date on a piece of paper and put it next to your items that you sell on ebay. It makes it a little more legit.

If i see a seller "joeschmoe" selling a jersey and "billybad" is hand-written next to the item on a piece of paper, obviously they are using "billybad's" photos.

Great info, thanks!

[jbsportstuff]

I just tried to do this and when I clicked "Submit" after I un-clicked the box...I got an error from Ebay that said,

"Preferences are unavailable right now."

I wonder if many people are doing this and Ebay is trying to keep it from happening.

Thanks for the info. I'll keep trying.

[grenda12]

Thanks for the info. I just opted out with my account and the boyfriends.

[momen55]

opted out! thank you for looking out. definitely, ebay is nothing but a monopoly! and getting worse by the minute!