Commander Dan

Check it out, and read what the “buyer” is actually getting:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=20118

GaryEA

You win the auction and you get a temporary link. Oh, so clever...

Rypro 525

can't you use dvdcoverart.com and do it for free?

Dagon

I've seen those same covers before... I think on DVDGreek.com.

DarthVong

One of those sets is the one I made awhile back...

MJKTool

What a scumbag!

Commander Dan

Perhaps someone should email this bidders this link:
http://www.prillaman.net/dvd-covers-starwars.html

lesterlong

I sent an e-mail to the high bidder, hope he retracts his bid.

The_Greek

Those are Darth's and Matt's covers if I recall correctly. I've been glad I haven't seen mine abused in that way yet.

Commander Dan

Looks like he did, though some other poor schmuck that bid earlier is now the “high bidder” by default. I sent him an email, but there is only about 2½ hours left until the auction closes. ‘Twill be interesting to see if he retracts as well.

mdX

I've emailed the seller about this, but received no repsonse. he/she sure as hell doesn't have my permission to be selling my covers.

I've also submitted a report to ebay; hopefully they will take action against this individual

Ric Easton

Wow, nice making money off of other people's hard work. I hope he's proud of himself.

Ric

GaryEA

This is an honest question, so please don't take it the wrong way.

We, as "cover artists", put in a lot of time and effort to not only create unique art for our collection, but for share with each other as well. DVDCA.com, and how it's grown, shows how popular and truly creative and inventive it has become.

Now, we all want to protect our work from cases like this seller who knows damn well he didn't make the covers, and probably got them for very little money, if at all.

So how do we protect them from this? Can we? Let's say he did contact mdX and asked permisission, and the answer was a firm "no". What's to stop the seller anyway? If they were his, I'm sure it would reflect somehow on the auction, either in us saying "hey, those are new!" or the seller outright stating as such. Neither is the case here, since we're damn certain who the author's are.

We don't hold the rights to the covers, other than in the form of credit the covers community recognizes, and we also don't own the rights to the images or the logos we use - the studios do - and that makes our claim that they are rightfully "ours" that much weaker. How do you challenge a claim? Damn, I'm grateful that Ebay isn't full of BS auctions such as this one.

I'm not arguing that it was a lousy thing for the seller to snatch and grab those covers and try to make a buck - it was. I think it stinks, and I hope karma bites him or her ten fold. It's the kind of thing that makes me reconsider releasing any of my covers.

So how do you protect your work, other than never releasing it? Honest question, guys. I'm interested to hear your take on it - pros and cons.

-g

DarthVong

I've had these and my Halloween customs show up on Ebay for sale so many times it doesnt even phase me anymore.
I've come to the conclusion that it's not worth getting peeved over the greed and stupidity of others...

Ric Easton

I just hope the studios don't raise a stink, or they could ruin it for all of us.

Ric

GaryEA

I don't know if anyone noticed, but the same seller has six identical auctions running right now. Same covers.

Can we Vero his auctions? I know that applies to selling copyrighted materials, but I'm not sure what media it covers. Just a thought.

Ric,

My sentiments exactly. One (or six, as the case may be) auction could raise the interest of a studio, and if they find that it's enough of a concern and they pursue it, they'll find that it's a lot more than just one dumb seller.

The one thing I value in this community is that while we're vulnerable to this kind of thing, we do act pretty professionally and don't spread it across the web, drawing attention to ourselves.

These types of auctions do, and that's what's concerns me.

-g

gfoots

Someone here could become the high bidder and then forget to pay for the auction.

Commander Dan

Here is yet another moron doing the same thing:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=20118

This guy had the right idea, though:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=20118

Tob

Ha ha ha ha, I cant believe someone paid money for a link. What's wrong with Google?

DarthVong

ACK! Those are the ones I made! ARGGGGHHHHH...
Idiot!

Dagon

Even worse, Darth... I followed a link off the first ebay link in your post and it leads to the seller's personal website. He's even offering DVD's of the movies.

Never mind ebay security; quick, someone call George.
I emailed the guy at the address on his site asking if he had permission from the author of the covers to sell them. I'm not expecting a response.

Commander Dan

Well, I have been periodically checking the eBay auctions and emailing some (not everyone, though) of the folks that are bidding on the Star Wars DVD covers. I actually encountered some resistance today, when I got a reply back from a bidder telling me to “******* leave him alone.” I have been nothing but cordial in my emails, and have simply explained where one can download the covers for free.

(Bad day on the Internet for me, as this is the second time today I have encountered hostility, despite trying to be friendly!)

DarthVong

It's really not worth it. I have learned this from experience. I would just alert Ebay about it.

DRG

Perhaps the bidder is actually seller himself... maybe he was trying to drive up the bids?