Loaches Online Forum

A friend sent me this link for Ebay last night the info is from the LOL species index and the photo used is Martins

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/eel-kuhli-coolie- ... dZViewItem

They haven't even bothered to crop the image they have just blacked out Martins copyright

I've emailed the seller to ask if its a picture of the actual fish in the auction. Will be interesting to see his reply. Wait out.

I'll wait and see if you get a reply before I pitch in

Martin.

Notice your name and the date are obscured in the lower left corner.

I guess some people feel that be blacking out the copyright it makes it void.....

I'm a little curious about this....first let me say that I agree 100% that people like this should not be using these images that are clearly and obviously trademarked. That being said, what recourse do you really have? If they had asked your permission would have given it? Is the concern here that the seller may be misrepresenting what he is selling?

Please do not take this post the wrong way, I am just curious.



Also, you guys must spend a lot of time looking at eBay and AquaBid, because it seems like something like this pops up a lot

I believe Mad got this from a friend.

And yes, stuff like this happens alot. Sellers often use pics of fish which are not the fish they are selling. Is this fair business practice? If the fish is in their possession can they not take their own photo? If not, do they not have a language they can communicate in to describe the fish/item they are selling?

Though it may not be my pics that are pirated, i find it disturbing that sellers would misrepresent their items in this way. As a buyer, I'd want to see what I am actually bidding on. Not someone else's pic of a similar (or not?) thing.

Find it bordering on the deliberate attempt to deceive, and at the least a lazy man's way to make a buck. I would not buy from a seller who clearly has marked out a signature on a picture. I mean, there's a black line through something at the bottom of that image where names/dates/copyright often goes. Suspicious, i would be.

I believe that the the fact that the fish is obviously not the exact one(s) being sold plus the use of someone else's image for personal profit is the issue here.
If someone uses my image I call that flattery to an extent. If they use it to make coin I say, "What's in it for me?". The answer is zip.
As I think I've said before, photos to me are not so vitally important as I'm not making a living selling my images and the creation of one is as simple as point, snap, download, and edit.

My big objection is companies like that British mail-order aquatics company who is using my Clown-Loach artwork at the top of a webpage.....the LOL logo.....and continues to do so long,long after replying to an E-mail promising they would remove it.

Hand-created artwork stealing I take very personally. If the darned company had any indication of a snail-mail address on their website they would be getting a very pointed letter from the Solicitor's where my sister works in England

Martin.

Martin Thoene wrote:I believe that the the fact that the fish is obviously not the exact one(s) being sold plus the use of someone else's image for personal profit is the issue here.
If someone uses my image I call that flattery to an extent. If they use it to make coin I say, "What's in it for me?". The answer is zip.
As I think I've said before, photos to me are not so vitally important as I'm not making a living selling my images and the creation of one is as simple as point, snap, download, and edit.

My big objection is companies like that British mail-order aquatics company who is using my Clown-Loach artwork at the top of a webpage.....the LOL logo.....and continues to do so long,long after replying to an E-mail promising they would remove it.

Hand-created artwork stealing I take very personally. If the darned company had any indication of a snail-mail address on their website they would be getting a very pointed letter from the Solicitor's where my sister works in England

Martin.

I'm pretty handy with a computer....if you could tell me which site it is I'm pretty sure I could track down an address....if you're interested.

Hehe! I just had another look at the site and found an address.

http://www.aquatics-warehouse.co.uk/acatalog/

I must talk to my Sister

Martin.

Martin Thoene wrote:Hehe! I just had another look at the site and found an address.

http://www.aquatics-warehouse.co.uk/acatalog/

I must talk to my Sister

Martin.

That's pretty blatant use of the logo....what are they thinking.

EDIT: They must think it's ok because they are using the mirror image

Wow... that's disgusting when people do that. So many people think they can snag pictures willy nilly without giving due credit. That's terrible! I'd be emailing both those people with some serious complaints.

That being said, what recourse do you really have?

and therein lies the problem...

I sent this...

"Hi! Is that a photo of the actual fish we are bidding on?"

I recived this...

"Yes"

Lyin' cheatin' b*stard

TC

The nerve.... I really want to catch him redhanded. That schmuck!