FUTURE WATERMARKING ISSUE

[silverpinups]

What concerns me about watermarking my images is what happens if eBay bands watermarking completely in the next year or so.

Will eBay force Sellers to remove their watermarked images?

This concerns me if they force Sellers to revise there listings with non watermarked images to comply with some future listing policy. 

I was burnt once when eBay.ca ended USD listings and had to re-list over 500 items on eBay.com.

I don't want to go through that again.....  

[ypdc_dennis]

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@silverpinups wrote:

What concerns me about watermarking my images is what happens if eBay bans watermarking completely in the next year or so.

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Not going to happen.

Why? Because it would cost eBay a lot of money to properly detect and enforce.

...

They'll find another way to annoy you.

-..-

[silverpinups]

I hope your right, but I don't trust eBay.

It will be really sad if eBay implements a non-watermarking policy because Sellers work really hard on their listings and want to protect their images from being copied.

I only started watermarking 2-3 years ago. Before I discovered my images being used on eBay and various websites off eBay.

I have to decide whether to continue to watermark my images or abandon it completely....

Thanks for your input. 

[musicyouneed]

Hi Silver, I also am concerned about the watermarking issue although it is not as important for my kind of stock as it is yours.  I looked at your pictures and they look good, I especially like how you did the watermarking.  What program do you use for watermarking and is it free?

[silverpinups]

Hi Music,

I believe it's called FastSpring (FastSpring.com). It costs 19.99 USD and is worth every penny!

You can download free watermarking programs but there usually limited in options.

I enjoy watermarking my images and I think it enhances the image. I like to use the watermark in creative ways which I believe benefit my listings but I'm worried about the future of watermarking on eBay. 

Your original post on the subject got me thinking about the future of watermarking on eBay. I'm still recovering from the relisting of my USD listings to eBay.com.  

Once burnt, twice shy.... 

[pocomocomputing]

Here is a copy of my recent post in the other watermarking topic.

eBay member shipscript made a free tool for watermarking images. Here is a link to the tool.

http://www.zippyhelp.com/imagetools/watermark/watermarker_batch.htm

It will make watermarking easier than most tools since it is designed for eBay.

However, I strongly suspect watermarking will be banned in the next year. So if you do not need to watermark images, do not because you may have to remove them one day. At least keep the original images watermark free and watermark copies of the original images to be uploaded to eBay.

[silverpinups]

However, I strongly suspect watermarking will be banned in the next year. So if you do not need to watermark images, do not because you may have to remove them one day.

Thank you for your input... I have a gut feeling that perhaps it's better to stop watermarking now or suffer the consequences later....

[silverpinups]

eBay.com also mentions that they changed their "image and text theft policy", which eliminates the need to include photo watermarks.

The problem with this policy if it's actually enforced doesn't protect Sellers images outside the eBay realm. Any company or website that uses the internet will be able to access your images from eBay and use them for personal or professional use without your permission.

Truly sad.....

[cumos55]

It was several years ago, but I do remember that some sellers were able to "lock" their photos into a listing, and in so doing the photos could not be copied.

The way to do this was never discovered.

[cumos55]

An interesting link...  How to prevent copying of photos

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/protect-online-photos.htm

Wonder if some of this can be done on eBay.....

[cumos55]

Blocking a ...right click

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/protect-online-photos.htmhttps://www.thoughtco.com/protec...

and maybe more on the internet.

But then nothing is perfect.

[cumos55]

Second link is dead....

[pocomocomputing]

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@cumos55 wrote:

It was several years ago, but I do remember that some sellers were able to "lock" their photos into a listing, and in so doing the photos could not be copied.

The way to do this was never discovered.

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The "lock" method is very easily defeated so it is useless.

[dutchman48]

Here is my take on pictures on Ebay. Unless you copyright all your pictures, if they are on a public domain, they are fair game.

I realize that a lot of people spend a great deal of time on pictures, but most on Ebay are not professional photographers with copyright protection.

For me, life is too short to worry about pictures, watermarks, and who is using them.

Ebay could care less, and will do nothing unless they legally have to, just like Vero.

[momcqueen]

http://community.ebay.ca/t5/Seller-Central/New-Advanced-Listing-Tool-Announced/m-p/372087#M78396

Read message 46 as it pertains to seller photos and, indirectly, the issue being discussed. 

[dutchman48]

Not sure what you are referring to. Is that not what I said as well and I did reply to that thread as well.

There are now 2 posts about the same thing

[dutchman48]

Curious question:

People are using pictures that are copyrighted. Have they all been checked to make sure that the copyright has expired?

It can get to be a real mess and I still believe that unless you copyright your pictures, better to not watermark them as they may all have to be redone in the future.

Remember when Ebay changed the picture size and how many people had to redo all their images that were too small.

[recped]

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@dutchman48 wrote:

Here is my take on pictures on Ebay. Unless you copyright all your pictures, if they are on a public domain, they are fair game.

I realize that a lot of people spend a great deal of time on pictures, but most on Ebay are not professional photographers with copyright protection.

For me, life is too short to worry about pictures, watermarks, and who is using them.

Ebay could care less, and will do nothing unless they legally have to, just like Vero.

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That's not how copyright works!

Copyright exists the moment you press the shutter button. Every image taken by an individual with a camera is copyrighted the instant the photograph is taken.

Anyone can become a Vero member (even that is unnecessary) and file a DMCA takedown notice if your images are "borrowed" without authorization.

I do agree that for the most part it's not something most eBay sellers need to concern themselves with, While it's annoying when somebody steals your images there is rarely any actual damages (financial loss) involved.

As far as watermarking, when done properly I don't believe eBay will institute any ban. Even the ban on text on images is barely if at all enforced unless it's blatant AND a report is made to eBay.

[recped]

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@dutchman48 wrote:

Curious question:

People are using pictures that are copyrighted. Have they all been checked to make sure that the copyright has expired?

It can get to be a real mess and I still believe that unless you copyright your pictures, better to not watermark them as they may all have to be redone in the future.

Remember when Ebay changed the picture size and how many people had to redo all their images that were too small.

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Copyright for images in Canada exists for the life of the copyright holder plus 50 years so only images taken prior to 1967 could possibly be in the public domain and that would only be if the copyright holder also died prior to 1967.

By way of example, pictures my mother took in the 1920's will not be in the public domain until 2060 (fifty years after her death in 2010).

[dutchman48]

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@recped wrote:

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@dutchman48 wrote:

Here is my take on pictures on Ebay. Unless you copyright all your pictures, if they are on a public domain, they are fair game.

I realize that a lot of people spend a great deal of time on pictures, but most on Ebay are not professional photographers with copyright protection.

For me, life is too short to worry about pictures, watermarks, and who is using them.

Ebay could care less, and will do nothing unless they legally have to, just like Vero.

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That's not how copyright works!

Copyright exists the moment you press the shutter button. Every image taken by an individual with a camera is copyrighted the instant the photograph is taken.

Anyone can become a Vero member (even that is unnecessary) and file a DMCA takedown notice if your images are "borrowed" without authorization.

I do agree that for the most part it's not something most eBay sellers need to concern themselves with, While it's annoying when somebody steals your images there is rarely any actual damages (financial loss) involved.

As far as watermarking, when done properly I don't believe eBay will institute any ban. Even the ban on text on images is barely if at all enforced unless it's blatant AND a report is made to eBay.

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But can be very difficult to enforce cost wise. You have to go after the person using your photo without permission.

Reporting it to Ebay will do 0 for you.

If you copyright, you are entitled to damages if you pursue it in the courts.

Please correct me if that is incorrect as I am not a lawyer and have never pursued this issue in court.