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How do I handle this? Stolen photos used on Kijiji

ame

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Jul 7, 2004
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So I found MY photos that I took of MY RINGS on a listing on Kijiji for what I assume is a fake Tiffany ring. My engagement ring is NOT a Tiffany ring, nor is it .78ct, nor is it an I VVS stone. I reported it, and contacted the seller demanding the listing be removed and my images be taken down. I originally had a watermark on that photo, as well. The seller cropped it off. Clearly I need to put my watermark RIGHT NEXT TO MY RINGS in the future. Neither the seller will remove them, nor Kijiji. In fact, Kijiji pretty much said that if it's online at all, it's fair game and that regardless of proof, if it's not a "true copyright" (um, it's MINE, I own it, I took it, I am the subject. I OWN THE COPYRIGHT!) then they can't do anything, pointing me to the Canadian Copyright laws.

Besides allowing this person to use MY rings, they're essentially allowing this person to commit fraud, using photos of a non-tiffany ring to sell a Tiffany ring, which is probably not even the item they're selling.

Do I have ANY recourse?
 

OreoRosies86

Ideal_Rock
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:nono:
My sapphire graduation band showed up on Alibaba. You can try a cease and desist, that's usually enough to scare them into taking it down.
 

ame

Super_Ideal_Rock
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I decided to file a formal complaint through the FBI Cyber Crimes division after I spoke with the Canadian Copyright Law folks. I also contacted Tiffany's IP people for shits and giggles.
 

chrono

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Ame,
A little threadjack: how did you realize your pictures were posted elsewhere aka stolen? Was it accidental whilst you were browsing or do you do a search for misuse regularly?
 

ame

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Chrono|1384269978|3555139 said:
Ame,
A little threadjack: how did you realize your pictures were posted elsewhere aka stolen? Was it accidental whilst you were browsing or do you do a search for misuse regularly?
Someone on another jewelry forum who regularly searches for her own images being misused found it as the main image for a listing and contacted me. She also said this forum and the other one we belong to are huge targets for ring photos that are used on Ebay.
 

ame

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Also, when I told Kijiji I could PROVE that it was MY ring and MY photo and that it was NOT a Tiffany ring nor was it the item in the listing, their response was "we simply aren't able to remove them since we have no way of verifying this information." So they're more interested in someone getting defrauded through their site.
 

yssie

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Watermark... "ame on PriceScope"?
People who legitimately want to find out more now know where to look - I'm thinking of the Pinterest WTHDidThisComeFrom syndrome.
People who illegitimately want to use your photos can't without more work than it's probably worth to them.

It's sorta my theory on general safety - if someone's Out To Get Me they will, and there's absolutely nothing I can do about it, but I'm unlikely to be targeted unless it's personal if I can just avoid being the low-hanging fruit. Or, in this case, the easy-to-steal photos.

Hope they remove that listing soon!
 

LLJsmom

Super_Ideal_Rock
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So wrong!! ;( Hope it gets cleared up soon!
 

JewelFreak

Ideal_Rock
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What a pain & maddening as hell too. Great idea to inform Tiffany -- they are bulldogs about their trademark -- if he's portraying a Tiff piece w/a fake photo or selling knockoffs, they'll get him. Hope it disappears soon!

Short of putting a watermark right across the photo, making it impossible to see, how can you protect yourself?

--- Laurie
 

OreoRosies86

Ideal_Rock
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JewelFreak|1384290391|3555382 said:
What a pain & maddening as hell too. Great idea to inform Tiffany -- they are bulldogs about their trademark -- if he's portraying a Tiff piece w/a fake photo or selling knockoffs, they'll get him. Hope it disappears soon!

Short of putting a watermark right across the photo, making it impossible to see, how can you protect yourself?

--- Laurie
What's even worse is that often times these fraudsters are able to remove watermarks from photos.
 

yssie

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Yssie|1384280362|3555244 said:
Watermark... "ame on PriceScope"?
People who legitimately want to find out more now know where to look - I'm thinking of the Pinterest WTHDidThisComeFrom syndrome.
People who illegitimately want to use your photos can't without more work than it's probably worth to them.

It's sorta my theory on general safety - if someone's Out To Get Me they will, and there's absolutely nothing I can do about it, but I'm unlikely to be targeted unless it's personal if I can just avoid being the low-hanging fruit. Or, in this case, the easy-to-steal photos.

Hope they remove that listing soon!

Wow. Great reading comprehension there... yeah, I think to be foolproof watermarks really do have to cover the main part of the image, which is disappointing. The "good" ones seem to have "watermark shadows", too, in different colour-schemes, so I guess they're harder to remove with a single filter? IIRC Kenny started a thread about watermarking some time ago - I remember that he was unhappy with the prospect of marring his immaculate subjects with a watermark :sick:
 

ame

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Watermarking is a touchy one. I don't WANT to have to, but I know that it's becoming a necessary evil. I do it on my blog images, but I am going to have to make them bigger and more obnoxious I think. And obviously now on anything I post on here or the other forum.

I made a big enough stink as did the person who informed me that the person took my image down and eventually Kijiji did take the listing down. The person removed my images and then just replaced them with other stolen ones.
 

luv2sparkle

Ideal_Rock
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I have seen other Pricescoper's photos on Pinterest too. They never say who or where they came from and that really bugs me. I hope Tiff's will go after them!
 

ame

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Well the person pulled my pics down, and when Kijiji pulled the listing she just relisted it. I reported it again and they pulled it. She clearly doesn't seem to care that she's stealing photos and committing fraud.

luv2sparkle|1384385183|3556006 said:
I have seen other Pricescoper's photos on Pinterest too. They never say who or where they came from and that really bugs me. I hope Tiff's will go after them!
When I pin from PS I identify both the site and the posters name and if I know the designer/details, I add that too.
 

vintagelover229

Ideal_Rock
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Strange on the kjiji reply since I had someone post a picture that I posted here of my first wedding dress (I also posted it on preownedweddingdresses but it had since sold) with my face and everything. I reported it-said it was ME and also emailed the seller asking her to remove the photo. I never got a reply but it was taken down quite quickly. The creepy thing is they have to save the photos to upload it so I'm floating around on someones PC some where!


I hope that you can get this resolved. That is SUCH a shame!!
 

ame

Super_Ideal_Rock
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vintagelover229|1384459959|3556533 said:
Strange on the kjiji reply since I had someone post a picture that I posted here of my first wedding dress (I also posted it on preownedweddingdresses but it had since sold) with my face and everything. I reported it-said it was ME and also emailed the seller asking her to remove the photo. I never got a reply but it was taken down quite quickly. The creepy thing is they have to save the photos to upload it so I'm floating around on someones PC some where!


I hope that you can get this resolved. That is SUCH a shame!!
Ok THAT is creepy. I think what worked in my favor was not just that it was a stolen picture, but that it was 1) being used to sell a Tiffany Ring, which my ring isn't, 2) there were photos from multiple other people used in this listing and 3) I made a huge case about fraud, and told them I reported it to the FBI and Tiffany. I think if I hadn't done that, maybe it would be ignored. Contacting the seller went nowhere.
 

Rockdiamond

Ideal_Rock
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You have my sympathies Ame.
Having been the victim of photo theft over 100 times, literally- I have developed a somewhat Zen outlook on it.
Its out of our hands.
I let the know the photos are stolen and hope they do the right thing- which some times happens.
People who steal art for a profit will pay the price somehow.....

I will say that eBay has been more vigilant on this subject of late.
 

ame

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Yea they certainly have, though I wonder if that's because BRANDS are being more vigilant?

I have done what I can and I hope this person stops being a heel.
 
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