Stop eBay from grabbing your images!!!

I just got a heads up about this!!

IMPORTANT TO READ FOR EBAY ARTIST MEMBERS!!!

::Crossposted::

I know that some of you are probably on eBay and I got this email in another group I belong to so thought it might be helpful for some of you. Basically, it seems that eBay will be taking your photos, images, etc. and putting them in an online catalog that any eBay user can use for their own listings. You might scroll down and read this if it applies to you - and the steps that are listed to show you how to correct that. Apparently, you have until only August 31st to change your settings!

This was on another Board and I followed the instructions and yes indeed, my default for eBay using any of my photos was on "yes." Follow the steps below to disable this. Notice that this would include photos of your art product, your photography. ..all go into a general photo bank that ANYONE can use to illustrate their sale item. Please share this with anyone you know who sells on eBay.

If you sell anything on eBay, you need to read this warning about how eBay plans to use your listing photos without creators' permission!!!

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 that date, 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. Hopefully your eBay pages look like mine. (I followed this easily)

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. (I did not need to hover, hovering did nothing for me, if yours doesn't either, just go to the third step.)

3) A drop-down list will appear. Move your mouse down to "Site Preferences" and click. (Mine was simply listed under the Account section, again I did not need to hover, hovering did nothing for me)

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 checkbox 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.

I thought you should all be warned.

Please spread the word.

::::end crosspost:::

Please feel free to crosspost this to any group that hasn't seen this yet!

I also checked mine and it was sent to "Yes" in there (along with the notice about August 31st) and you can beat your bottom dollar that I changed mine!