Ebay

[FullMetalJerk]

Evil Bay deleted some of my CRKT knife auctions and told me they received a complaint from them about image sharing. Pretty stupid. Do they not want to sell their knives? I'm a third party seller and don't have them in my possession so it's not like I can just snap some photos.

Am I the only one that buys one of their knives and thinks Oh, wow cool handle but where's the blade? It seems that CRKT uses the same steel from the liner locks to make their blades. Soft steel that dulls if you look at it the wrong way. Aus6, 1.4116 krupp,...yes, it is KRAPP.

They won't even respond to my emails. It seems CRKT just can't get it together. Shutting down ebay auctions over image sharing... anyone else have this happen to them?

What a shame. I liked some of their field strip knives. Not really diggin' that Star Bellied Sneetch look though.

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[Kruel J]

CRKT knives are junk. You're better off.

 

[CountryGent]

Can't say I've seen that. I did have someone who could not speak English to save her mortal soul that they yanked my listing of a 10-round carbine magazine (which is Kosher with their stupid rules) because it was an "assault weapon part" and if I relisted I'd be banned, despite being on their since 2003. Idiot.

 

[FullMetalJerk]

Yeah, they allow sellers in china to sell OTF Microtech clones, clones of all kinds and bayonets. But when I try to sell bayonets they always pull my listings within about an hour or two. Seems they don't want competition because there's only a few ebay stores that are allowed to sell bayonets. Those ebay stores are probably owned by ebay or china owns ebay.

 

[Hueco]

If you're a CRKT Vendor, I'd be getting in touch with your account manager to add some language to your contract that gives you full permission to reuse any product images taken by CRKT.

If you're some guy who happened to score some CRKT knives cheap and are just trying to resell them, then get your own photos! Companies pay good money for professional product photos.

 

[FullMetalJerk]

If you're a CRKT Vendor, I'd be getting in touch with your account manager to add some language to your contract that gives you full permission to reuse any product images taken by CRKT.

If you're some guy who happened to score some CRKT knives cheap and are just trying to resell them, then get your own photos! Companies pay good money for professional product photos.

Neither. I'm a third party seller. I'm helping CRKT to sell their knives. They're stock photos and are there for everyone to use. If their photos are so special they can watermark them. It's not like I'm using photos for a gun that has a serial number.

 

[FullMetalJerk]

These weren't high end professional looking photos. Just plain old, white background, anyone-could-do-it photos.

For what you get and the warranty, you can't beat Kershaw.

 

[FullMetalJerk]

It's not like I used a photo of a gun that has a serial number. That's bs. I had someone at armslist using my photos. If their photos are so special (they're not) they should watermark them. It takes time for a seller to make a listing; save photos, upload photos, write the descriptions, research all the specs,..

CRKT can p!ss off. They lost another customer for life.

 

[Hueco]

Neither. I'm a third party seller. I'm helping CRKT to sell their knives. They're stock photos and are there for everyone to use.

If you have no formal arrangement with CRKT then use of their marketing assets is not allowed by copyright law. CRKT holds the copyright to the images and gets to decide where they display and how they're used.

"Stock photos" doesn't mean free for all. It means the shooter has sold rights to an agency who licenses the photo to you, for a fee.

If their photos are so special they can watermark them.

A watermark is disruptive to the marketing usefulness of the image and aren't required to show proof of ownership. Generally, they're ill advised.

These weren't high end professional looking photos. Just plain old, white background, anyone-could-do-it photos.

If this is the case then why don't you obtain product samples and shoot the images yourself?

What you just wrote is the same as some gun novice saying oh, a 1000 yard shot is easy, anyone can do it.

No, no they actually can't. There are a plethora of articles on the web about taking product images and still, noob photographers mess it up, just like marksmanship!

Yea, I used to make a living taking photos. Yea, I had to deal with aholes who think nothing of the time it took to gain the skill or expertise needed to create a certain image and who stole my work for their own gains.

Somewhere out there in the world is a guy whose eating a meal bought and paid for by the images he took. You steal from that guy when you take his work without permission.

All you have to do is reach out to the CRKT marketing department, tell them you operate a business selling CRKT products, and ask permission to use their marketing assets on your own site. More than likely, they'd say sure. But, sounds like you decided to steal instead and got caught. That could be a relationship burned now.

 

[FullMetalJerk]

Stock photos are used for nearly every product on ebay. Call it stealing if you want, it's really not. If what you're selling is brand new, a photo of the individual thing you're selling isn't required. A stock photo is all that's needed. Again... it's dumb because I'm helping them to sell their cheap chinese knives. It's D-U-M-B.... If someone is doing something that is dumb I'll call them out on it.

Basic photography is one thing. Professional photography is another, it's art. Snapping a few photos of a knife laying on a white background is basic photography. It's not art. Lighting, angles, sure it requires 'some' skill but we're talking about stock photos of a knife........

 

[FullMetalJerk]

A watermark is disruptive to the marketing usefulness of the image and aren't required to show proof of ownership. Generally, they're ill advised.

If this is the case then why don't you obtain product samples and shoot the images yourself?

No, a watermark is not disruptive. Look how BladeHQ does it. Not disruptive at all.

Because I don't need or want a sample.

 

[FullMetalJerk]

It's dumb. Petty and dumb. These are brand new knives. I could see it being a problem if they were used knives. They're not. They're brand new from the distributor.............

 

[Oregonhunter5]

CRKT knives are junk. You're better off.

I've got one of there fixed blade used for riding horses and getting yourself out of a deadly situation. It's a really nice knife.

 

[Mark W.]

LOL be glad thats all they did. I found someone using one of my photos via a link to sell something similar to an item I had sold about 6 months before. SO I went in an changed the image behind the link to a great big red dildo. Took about an hour and THEY took their own auction down LOL.

 

[Hueco]

No, a watermark is not disruptive. Look how BladeHQ does it. Not disruptive at all.

So, one company does it the way you think it should be done, and that makes the 99.99% of images out there used in marketing in the wrong? C'mon man, just look around. Watermarks aren't used in just about every single image used in a marketing or sales capacity.

Stock photos are used for nearly every product on ebay. Call it stealing if you want, it's really not. If what you're selling is brand new, a photo of the individual thing you're selling isn't required. A stock photo is all that's needed. Again... it's dumb because I'm helping them to sell their cheap chinese knives. It's D-U-M-B.... If someone is doing something that is dumb I'll call them out on it.

Again, a stock photo is a photo that a photographer takes, who then sells the rights to license that photo to an agency. The agency then sells individual use licenses to businesses or people wanting to use the image, and the original photographer usually receives some sort of commission or bonus from that sale.

There is no such thing as "stock" photography that is a free for all. Every single image taken, unless otherwise noted, belongs to the photographer. In most business cases, it is transferred to a company (for example, photographer to CRKT).

Your use of such image IS STEALING as you DON'T OWN THE RIGHTS TO USE THOSE IMAGES!

Basic photography is one thing. Professional photography is another, it's art. Snapping a few photos of a knife laying on a white background is basic photography. It's not art. Lighting, angles, sure it requires 'some' skill but we're talking about stock photos of a knife........

Really, so you know how to set up a product shot and can take an image, no shadows, and successfully blow the background to pure white without that light bleeding over the edges of the product?

You don't have the skills to create your own, don't value the product enough to pay for your own, and are pissed that images are actually worth something at the end of the day and the rights to use them are private?

If a name is indicative of a reputation, FullMetalJerk, then your reputation precedes you.

Normally, I'd say we're not ever going to agree so let's agree to disagree. But, in this case, you're a thief, whose been caught thieving, and who's complaining about being called out on it. I don't understand why it's too much to ask that you respect the copyright holder.

 

[FullMetalJerk]

Do you know who took the photos? You act like you know the photographer. It was probably CRKT, I kind of doubt they would hire someone else to take those photos. There was no bubbling brook flowing in the background, no ammo dumped, no magazines or vests or tactical gear in the background... not really what I'd call fancy photography or special or worth reported to ebay. Pretty lame.

Lighting is how you keep shadows out of photos. Big bright overhead lights and reflective boards. Angles, tripods (if you don't have steady hands),.. you sure are a know-it-all aren't you? I do have the skills because I'm a photographer. I don't have the knives in my possession so I can't take photos of them.. already told you this...

A theif.... oh man... you need to get some sleep or something. lol

 

[quneur]

It sounds like the OP is a third party seller. Third party sellers market and sell a company's product then the company ships it directly from their warehouse. It frees the seller from keeping inventory but they are at the mercy of the company; shipping time, inventory, etc.

 

[gmerkt]

Stolen images unfortunately are in the nature of the internet. I'm not a professional photographer by any means. But I've been surprised over the years to see some of my photos turn up here and there in various places on the internet being used by others. Pictures I originally shared to be neighborly or for educational purposes. Only once has someone inquired asking permission. It is a form of theft, widely practiced and I suppose that is because it's so easy to do and adverse consequences are so unlikely.

 

[Sawtooth58]

If you're smart you'll stop selling on EBay before they really screw you! I'm in the process at the moment finishing my FINAL transaction with those bubblegum@:•.*!
I sold an IPhone X to a guy a month ago and 29 days AFTER he received the phone and had been using it...decided he wants to return it and made up some bs story that he called Apple and they told him the phone has never worked correctly. This is my personal phone I've had for almost two years and worked and looked 100% perfect when this POS Californian received it.
Well, turns out after trying to dispute the fact that this guy is lying through his liberal dirtbag teeth - that it doesn't matter. eBay will ALWAYS side with the buyer. So now I'm waiting to receive a once perfect $1200 phone back that this guy damaged and as soon as he uploads a shipping tracking number they are refunding his money, and I'm F'ed!
I googled the topic and I'm definitely not alone, one poor Gal sold an heirloom 18 carrot gold necklace and the guy returned a necklace that was from a bubblegum machine. Not a damn thing she could do, they refunded the his money and he kept they heirloom gold necklace!
I plan to report my case to the AG's fraud dept but I have a feeling it will do no good. The agreement you essentially sign when you sell on EBay gives them a right to pull the money out of your account and there's not a damn thing you can do about it.

 

[Sawtooth58]

Okay, probably shouldn't stereotype Californians, I know there is a couple good ones out there... haven't met one from LA yet though ...