Blogger For Sale


Photo: ALAMY


Okay listen up EBay sellers, it really has to stop. No really it has to, I'm so fed up of you lot thinking you can just right click on a bloggers photo and copy it to sell your things. Yes if you have not seen, bloggers are for sale over on EBay ...Okay not literally, but you type in 'Topshop' something or other and give it a minute as you scroll down you may see a few familiar faces. The whole thing is these bloggers are not the ones selling these items, yep some lovely thoughtful people have decided that your face is perfect. That the way you styled that peter pan collar dress, is going to have people hitting the crap out of the 'Bid' button. Did they come and ask you if it was okay to pimp your photo, did they send you an email, did they consider that actual you don't want your photo spread all over the place. 

The next sinful seller is the watermark thief, yes brace yourself not only are these wonderful thoughtful individuals using your photo, they have decided that by clicking 'copy' they have had some input into your photo. So really I ask you 'do you really think it's okay to steal someones photo, and use it to sell your stuff?' ....................
No. It really, really is not okay. Let me break it down in another way, you have just posted a photo on Facebook. It's an okay photo, you just put it up because you wanted to show your friend your new coat. Than later that day you go shopping, you go back to where you got the coat and there in the shop window is your photo for everyone to see. Yes bloggers post their photos for you to see, but that in no way gives you the right to use that photo in any shape or form without permission. Talking as a blogger, I would be so angry if someone used my photo to sell their crap! 




I mean sometimes, we have that photo were you want to show and share your new buy or whatever. You don't want it spread everywhere and this is how it starts, soon your photos are on heaps of other blogs with no credit and even being used by other 'bloggers' as theirs. It may seem like this EBay thing is a small issue, but really it's not. I have now reported to over 10! Yes 10 bloggers I know that their photo has been used on EBay, and the horrid thing is that EBay seem to be doing nothing about it! So hey listen up EBay team, why are you not dealing with this? You soon ban people for other stuff, like not paying up all the time, or selling goods and never sending them .....So why not this? Why is it okay for someone to use someones photo, that's right it's not. You should have a rule in place, that states you must use your own picture. How hard is it to snap a quick photo for EBay! Unlike a blogger who has to take time out to snap their outfit, than edit the photo. Plus when did it become okay to steal a photo ..oh hang on it didn't most blogs have copyright of their image, so why why is it still happening.

So I hope you see this EBay, but more importantly to you ! Yes you photo pimps, stop being so lazy pick up a camera and snap your own things. It's not hard if your item is worth selling do it right, as we are not for sell. Or maybe us bloggers will start bidding on your items, and not paying see how you like having your time wasted. To all you bloggers who have had your photos used, I really hope that something is put in place soon and I hope you enjoy this post.

12 comments

  1. Aymen. You said it right, this is disgusting! Even I am a photography novice but I'd attempt before I steal! x

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  2. Great post! I've had my lips nicked and my name blanked out - so Rude!

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  3. I've had my photos taken and used on eBay before, and it's scary how easily people can access and use photos. It's absolutely awful for our photos to be shared elsewhere, and somewhat takes the lightheartedness of blogging away from us. xx

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  4. This happened to me before, before I even blogged! I posted some pictures on an LJ community site and they obviously got them off of google, scared the crap out of me - It was an awful picture!!! xx

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  5. As much as I want to be with you on this one. Bloggers are the first people to pull images from designers websites or other places. You have done it with both images on this post.

    If you are going to preach Image copyright law, then first follow the rules yourself.

    Sure you can say you credited the image, but if i came and stole your car but made sure I told everyone it was yours, you still would report me for stealing it.

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  6. AMEN sistah!
    I saw some people being used on Ebay and wondered why they'd be selling it..then realised it isn't them!It's mental that people think they have the right to do this?! I mean, they didn't put the effort into taking these photos.. so what makes it their right?

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  7. Aww thanks for all the feedback and Dani its great to see a different take to the post. I would say on au blog there is a credit and link, I did love what you said about the car very true. The different is that using the image as a blogger, I'm not using it too sell. Plus people know those are not my images, where as on EBay are lot of these sellers are claiming them as their own. Like I said watermarking someone's photo. I would always email/ask a blogger if I was going to use an image with their face, it's just good manners. Anyway thanks again, I like seeing every side and all views are welcome :)

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  8. i haven't come across this to be honest but i can imagine, not cool. thief

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  9. Well said, I agree with everything that you've said! That's so not cool. I also hate it when other bloggers don't credit images that aren't theirs or post too many "borrowed" images...I just think, "should you really be blogging if you can't come up with your own content?" My friend had some photos that she took of a fashion show stolen from her blog by a website, given that the blog is copyrighted she sent the website a copyright notice asking for monetary compensation or the pics to be removed ASAP. Gave them quite a shock I bet as the rogues quickly removed the pics and deleted the entire post from their website. Perhaps we should all start doing this more often and people will start to get the message.

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  10. The main reason it keeps happening is because cameras have got so cheap that everyone takes pictures for fun, or are a blogger who takes pictures to enhance their words.

    Now, most bloggers don't get paid and do this for their own self promotion, so to most bloggers if someone used their pictures elsewhere, but put a little credit and a link to their site, they are more than happy.

    But people need to be aware that the same is not right for all photographs. I am a professional photographer, taking photographs is my job, and its what I do to make money. Now you could argue that sticking my name on an image you use helps promote me... well you would be wrong. (and the same thoughts go for any other professional photographer). I do enough of my self promotion, and a pair a fair amount of budget and cash each year to do so. And that cash is well spent, targeted to the right people, no amount of fashion bloggers will book me, so that credit you gave me... doesn't bring me customers. What everyone wants for their finished products... is CASH.

    And it is the CASH part that the copyright agreement comes in. Copyright isn't a "these are mine no one can have them" notice, it is a "these are for sale, don't steal them" notice. It is the intellectual property version of the "thieves will be prosecuted" sign at your corner store, or the security guard on the door of Harrods. The reason it is called image THEFT, is because there is money involved.

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  11. I know this Dani, as you must be aware Barry is a photographer so I do understand that crediting an image doesn't make it okay. I think you are talking about something completely different, after all this is not a post about bloggers using images. You may say well it should be the same rule, but it's more complex as like you have said about money etc ...
    I wrote this because I wanted to highlight mainly to EBay, that they need to step it up. Not only for Bloggers but also people like you, as I'm sure when you shoot product people use these too. I also wanted to highlight that it takes very little time to just snap your own things, and use these on EBay. Thank you for your comment, but I think your talking about another issue. As bloggers this is something we need to be aware of, and look at our actions. I will always use my own images where I can, but as you know when promoting or making a suggestion's say for example 'wish list' this is not always possible.

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