eBay Ignore Copyright Infringement Reports Yet Again
The VeRO department at eBay often act very slowly, sometimes ignore NOCI reports, or play dumb & request extra information, even when it has already been spelled out several times. Is this deliberate truculence or poor training?
eBay Profits from Copyright Infringement, Why Should They Act Quickly?
eBay members steal our high quality copyright photographic images on a daily basis, and we always report them via eBay's so called VeRO programme.
In our estimate, probably over half of all listings on eBay involve pirated goods infringing trademarks, patents or copyright, or involve misleading and fraudulent description, stolen goods, or are in some other way less than honest legal and decent.
We also guess that if eBay managed to ban all nefarious activity on its various websites, its income would plunge steeply. It is clearly not in eBay's interest to police thoroughly the venue it provides, but it probably needs to appear to act legitimately to maintain public and media goodwill, to avoid administrative attention, and to pre-empt or stall legal action from rights owners.
Variable Response
Sometimes eBay act on copyright reports within an hour, but at other times, for some unknown reason, it can take them many days, and many reminders, before they respond. In some case, they then request further information, despite the fact that we often go to great lengths to explain and clarify a particular case. We strongly suspect that they would prefer to keep their sellers (paying customers) happy, than look after Intellectual Property Rights Owners interests. If our suspicions are ill-founded, then it is only because eBay's tardiness gives us genuine cause for concern.
Yet Another Example:
eskimosek1974 in eBay Copyright Theft
eskimosek1974 of ryton (sic), Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom, stole our 1976 Canadian Gold Proof 100 Dollar Olympics Reverse Photograph to sell his own coin on eBay, without our permission, and failed to mention the coin in the photograph was not one of the coins he owned, if any. Totally dishonest.
He listed this item at least 4 times, using our photograph every time.
He also stole our 1995 Bhutan Coronation Gold Proof 1 Sertum Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II 1953 - 1993 coin photograph to sell his own coin.
High eBay Feedback is No Guarantee of Integrity or Honesty
When we wrote this page, this eBay member's feedback was 440, with 100% positive according to eBay.
eBay Copyright Thieves
Many eBay vendors use our coin photographs to sell inferior quality coins on eBay. These eBay members are dishonest and should be avoided.
We believe eBay profits from IP rights infringements (copyright theft), and does so knowingly, only removing infringing items reluctantly, if at all.
Eskimosek1974
We noticed the following eBay listings, all by eBay member "eskimosek1974", all using our photographs.
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Seller ID | Item Number | Date | Description | Price | Reported | Removed
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eskimosek1974 | 330464408151 | 25th Aug 2010 | 1976 Gold Canada $100 0.25 Troy Ounces Pure Gold | £205 | 13th Sep 2010 | 13th Sep 2010
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eskimosek1974 | 330471218498 | 11th Sep 2010 | 1976 Gold Canada $100 0.25 Troy Ounces Pure Gold | £205 | 11th Sep 2010 | 12th Sep 2010
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eskimosek1974 | 330471445216 | 11th Sep 2010 | PROOF 1995 BHUTAN FINE GOLD 1 SERTUM COIN 25,000 ISSUED | £32 | 12 Sep 2010 | 13th Sep 2010
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eskimosek1974 | 330471629901 | 12th Sep 2010 | 1976 Gold Canada $100 0.25 Troy Ounces Pure Gold | £205 | 13th Sep 2010 | 13th Sep 2010
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eskimosek1974 | 330471905008 | 12th Sep 2010 | 1976 Gold Canada $100 0.25 Troy Ounces Pure Gold | £205 | 13th Sep 2010
14th Sep 2010
15th Sep 2010 | 15th Sep 2010
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What's Wrong?
We invest a great deal of time, effort, and cost into creating some of the best photographic coin and gold bar images on the internet.
It's bad enough when lazy and dishonest people decide to use them without our permission, doing so in competition with us.
Vendors not only cheating us by stealing our copyright images, but also fraudulently or ignorantly misleading and deceiving all potential buyers by implying that the coin shown in our photographs is the coin they are selling, sometimes explicitly stating so, on other occasions by omitting this important information. This is fraud, and it appears to be endemic on eBay.
It adds insult to injury when eBay persistently act slowly, apparently reluctantly, at the same time claiming to take IP rights seriously. It happens so often that we completely mistrust and disbelieve them.
If the delays and failures are because of employee error, then they need to train their staff properly. We believe eBay are negligent, meanwhile we continue to build files of evidence, some of which we publish, as here in the public interest. We also use these pages as information pages so that we can point eBay to them for clarification.
Image & Copyright Abuse Persistence
Sometimes after a direct infringement has been changed or removed, secondary or indirect infringements persist. We have pointed this out to eBay on a number of occasions, without much apparent effect.
In this page we are highlighted one recent, and still extant example.
Thumbnail Image Name
3304719050086464.jpg
Thumbnail Image URL
http://thumbs.ebaystatic.com/pict/3304719050086464.jpg
Link URL
The URL (web address) of the thumbnail image link is:
http://online-auction-services.com/ebayUK/39482/3/link.php?target=http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-53481-19255-0/1?type=4&campid=5335843087&toolid=10001&customid=uk&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.co.uk%2F1976-Gold-Canada-100-0-25-Troy-Ounces-Pure-Gold-%2F330464408151%3Fpt%3DUK_Coins_Bullion_Bars_SM%26hash%3Ditem4cf136b257
Idiot Proof Guide for eBay VeRO Staff
If you still do not understand the basis of our complaint and reports:
Access item number 330471905008
Then access your own eBay home page.
You will find your screen looks like our screenshot, and will contain a thumbnail image 3304719050086464.jpg located at http://thumbs.ebaystatic.com/pict/3304719050086464.jpg which, if you click it (URL http://online-auction-services.com/ebayUK/39482/3/link.php?target=http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-53481-19255-0/1?type=4&campid=5335843087&toolid=10001&customid=uk&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.co.uk%2F1976-Gold-Canada-100-0-25-Troy-Ounces-Pure-Gold-%2F330464408151%3Fpt%3DUK_Coins_Bullion_Bars_SM%26hash%3Ditem4cf136b257) will take you back to listing 330471905008
Your member eskimosek1974 may not be aware of this, but you are, as we put you on notice on 13th September 2010, with reminders on 14th, and 15th September 2010.
Result!
About 10 minutes after we e-mailed a third copyright report, with a copy to their Bern Switzerland office, which also referred them to this page, we received a response informing us the listing was being removed.
Was this timing coincidence.
Typical eBay Crook Threatens Legal Action
Shortly after removal, we received this stroppy e-mail from the image thief:
Dear Sir / Madam,
In the last day you have removed many my listings from ebay.
I understand that you want to fight with competition in this way therefore I have to seek a legal help.
Marcin Wzorek
No Apology - Only Threats
We note a complete absence of any apology from Marcin Wzorek for any of the 5 or more times he stole our images, only a complaint.
Not only is this typical of most eBay image thieves, but we also believe it demonstrates that eBay do very little, and certainly not enough, to educate their members about the rights and wrongs of copyright abuse.
eBay Guilty of Negligence or Complicity
We will be reporting this example of copyright abuse using our standard Statutory Declaration via the eBay VeRO programme, and wait to see if they chose to action or ignore our report. We look forward to taking legal action against eBay for their negligence and / or complicity if they fail to take down the offending material promptly.
eBay Cheats & Copyright Thieves
We now name and shame eBay copyright thieves.
Copyright Notice
Please see our "Copyright" page for further information.
Copyright Infringements Remedies
Our suggested draft remedies for copyright abusers dependent on category - competitors, bloggers, pseudo-expert & advice sites acting as eBay & Google portals, eBay & other auction site sellers.
Other Copyright Abuse
Other Copyright Abuse
Buying Gold Coins & Bars on eBay
Selling Gold Coins & Bars on eBay
Copyright Thieves on eBay
We already have a page naming and shaming dealers using our images without permission. It's time we did the same for eBay, although if we include them all, this could be a very long page.
Alphabetical Listing of Other Copyright Theft Sites
Other Scams
Other Web Sites
All comments about copyright also cover content of all our other websites including, but not limited to:-
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eBay Home Page Showing Our 1976 Canadian Gold Proof 100 Dollar Olympics Reverse Photograph Linking to eskimosek1974 eBay Listing Number 330471905008
Screenshot as on 15th September 2010
Detail of Our 1976 Canadian Gold Proof 100 Dollar Olympics Reverse Photograph Linking to eskimosek1974 eBay Listing Number 330471905008
eBay Thumbnail 3304719050086464.jpg Copy of Our 1976 Canadian Gold Proof 100 Dollar Olympics Reverse Photograph
Actual Size
Our Image
1976 Canadian Gold Proof 100 Dollar Olympics Reverse Photograph
More Evidence
400.jpg)
eskimosek1974 eBay Listing 330471905008 Using our 1976 Canadian Gold Proof 100 Dollar Olympics Reverse Photograph
 changed400.jpg)
eskimosek1974 eBay Listing 330471905008 Changed
eBay Index
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