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Author Topic: Fiverr  (Read 84245 times)

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« Reply #125 on: March 27, 2014, 04:40 »
+2
Very tempting to contact all those leaving positive reviews for these sellers. Very easy to do as well if you're a member...

I have ;D

given 24 hours to a guy and he said he will remove it from all sites, like I haven't reported him here already ;D

to sum it up, he bought the 222500 pack at ebay ;D

he just sent me a message saying he removed his gigs from all sites! :)


« Reply #126 on: March 27, 2014, 04:43 »
+2
The photos that I sell are all royalty free, and you can use them to your sites or anything, without you need to paying royalties or license fees.
Just Place your order and tell me your subject, image IDs, lightbox, links. . .  etc.

64 gigs sold in 24 days, 10 on the queue

http://www.fiverr.com/maxsmorgan/send-you-20-stock-photos-vectors-you-want




ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #128 on: March 27, 2014, 06:56 »
0
^^ Hmmm, they're promising you 'similar' pictures, not necessarily the same ones.
 ???

« Reply #129 on: March 27, 2014, 07:38 »
0
^^ Hmmm, they're promising you 'similar' pictures, not necessarily the same ones.
 ???

yeah, anyway ts pretty much the same thing, he/she will get similar looking at what he/she have downloaded on the previous times, must have a folder with pictures from all categories

still thief but with a different smell

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #130 on: March 27, 2014, 07:51 »
0
^^ Hmmm, they're promising you 'similar' pictures, not necessarily the same ones.
 ???

yeah, anyway ts pretty much the same thing, he/she will get similar looking at what he/she have downloaded on the previous times, must have a folder with pictures from all categories

still thief but with a different smell

Absolutely, sorry, I didn't mean to defend them, just noting the weasel wording.

« Reply #131 on: March 27, 2014, 08:11 »
0
no worries Sue!

EmberMike

« Reply #132 on: March 27, 2014, 10:27 »
+9

I received another email from a Fiverr employee today. For the most part it kind of just repeats what was said in the email I got from their legal team. They are willing to help if my work is being infringed, but we all know that's not really helpful in most of these gigs where specific work being sold isn't identified.

On the positive side of things, I've been invited to speak with this Fiverr representative on the phone, so hopefully we will be able to set up a call soon. It's not much progress, but it's something.

Also on the plus side, it looks like any gig that specifically mentions Shutterstock in the gig description is gone. Some non-specific gigs remain, including one that uses a screenshot of the SS homepage and another that uses a thinkstock screenshot. But again, it's progress.

If there is any new information I can share after the phone call, I certainly will share it here.

« Reply #133 on: March 27, 2014, 10:41 »
+3
,
« Last Edit: May 11, 2014, 22:20 by tickstock »

EmberMike

« Reply #134 on: March 27, 2014, 11:27 »
+5
The agencies should be paying you for doing their job.

Maybe. But every once in a while I think we've got to be willing to do a little more than what's fair.

That said, I've gone just about as far as I'm willing to go. If nothing comes of this phone call, I don't think I can personally invest any more time in this. I'm sort of impressed that this little social action managed to get me to the point where I can actually speak to someone about the issue, but at the same time it's been yet another eye-opening experience about just how screwed up the stock business is and how little concern there is for protecting our work.

I say that with microstock specifically in mind, and feeling like between this stuff and the recent partner program problems, microstock is becoming way too much of a hostile environment for artists. It's always been that way to some extent, but lately I feel like I've been inching closer and closer to my personal line in the sand, beyond which I just can't go any further. I think that line is coming up on me faster than I expected.

« Reply #135 on: March 27, 2014, 12:12 »
+3
So this morning's find was this scumbucket who's offering three different artist's work in his samples:

gig

http://www.fiverr.com/mazgiti/provide-a-killer-30-healthcare-stock-photos

Photos on Shutterstock (the dentist one isn't right but it's the same artist and models)

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-137658929/stock-photo-smiling-asian-medical-doctor-and-senior-woman.html
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-131366687/stock-photo-two-young-sporty-women-run-on-machine-in-the-gym-centre.html
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-163217636/stock-photo-little-girl-sitting-in-the-dentists-office.html

Two Russian and one Japanese photographer and the gig guy is in Morocco - offering other 30 for $5 deals

http://www.fiverr.com/mazgiti

There is no way he's legit - this crap about it could the gig owners own work doesn't fly. I can't file DMCA as none of it's my work.

But I tweeted again this morning

https://twitter.com/joannsnover/status/449229625801990144

Sergey Nivens' work is on a ton of sites. Even though I know these works aren't the product of the sleeze who's selling them, who can force  a takedown? If the agency can't show the works came from them, perhaps they can't even do it?

I don't know any of these folks to have a quick way to contact them - as the copyright holder they don't have to prove where they came from for a DMCA notice.

I guess just trying to persuade buyers to stay away from Fiverr is the best bet...

EmberMike

« Reply #136 on: March 27, 2014, 14:22 »
+8

So here's what I've been told:

1. Fiverr communicates with Shutterstock frequently. They have had conversations about the issue of stock image resale and discussed how to manage the situation. Presently they have agreed on a policy of removing gigs when they are reported either by Shutterstock or by an artist who can use the DMCA and prove both the violation and the ownership.

2. Fiverr does have filters in place to block gigs from being posted that contain certain terms/phrases. Currently those filters are used to block profanity and other specific language. It is possible to block the use of stock agency names, for example "Shutterstock" or "Thinkstock". My understanding is that Shutterstock has been made aware of this possibility, but because Shutterstock has not requested this filtering, Fiverr does not do it. I don't fully understand why Shutterstock would be opposed to that, but I've been told it has something to do not wanting to limit people who could legitimately use the company name in a gig. As remote as the chances are (in my opinion) that someone would use a stock company name in a gig for legal purposes, the possibility exists that it could happen.

3. The biggest problem Fiverr has with dealing with these reselling gigs is that they are sometimes hard to prove to be infringing on any artists' rights. We can figure it out pretty easily, but we're a bit better than most folks at being able to track this stuff down. Some are obvious, some aren't, and occasionally some are legit and offer images that can be sold.

It seems to mainly be an issue of Fiverr wanting to only react to potentially infringing gigs when there is proof of infringement directly from the artist or (preferably) Shutterstock (or whatever company is involved).

Do they respond to requests to remove gigs? Yes. Is it done in a way that I'm satisfied with? No. Can I do anything about that? Probably not.

I still wish Fiverr would be more pro-active with this. But that likely isn't going to happen, so this is where the issue seems to end for me. Shutterstock really could be pressuring them to do more, but they're not. If Shutterstock (and other companies as well) are satisfied with Fiverr's response to these gigs, there is very little incentive to change anything about how they handle this.

Ron

« Reply #137 on: March 27, 2014, 14:29 »
+3
Quite upsetting news about Shutterstock not pushing the envelope on this over brand risk management.

« Reply #138 on: March 27, 2014, 14:49 »
+7
Thanks for posting the response you received.

I think it's 100% inadequate and I don't think Fiverr has to prove anything. At a very minimum, just as a start, they might try doing the things Envato did a while back - writing detailed instructions for contributors on what is and isn't OK.

I haven't signed up with Fiverr, but I looked around the site, forums and help and they don't seem to have anything that tells people posting gigs that they must own the rights to the things they sell and warning them about account closures if they violate the rules.

Fiverr is making ZERO effort to educate the sellers about copyright, resale rights, etc. for images and illustrations. I'm betting that there is nothing like the "I own the copyright" statement that stock contributors have to agree to with all uploads for gig posters to agree to.

If Fiverr wants to be a legitimate market place for stock images and illustrations, they need to make an effort to make it very clear to contributors of gigs that they have a zero tolerance policy for offering items the gig poster has no right to sell, and that anything obtained from any stock agency NEVER has resale rights and so must not be posted in any gig.

I saw a lot of media coverage listed on the Fiverr web site. I wonder if we could get some of those outlets to be interested in a "great idea headed for oblivion because they won't tackle the thieves on the streetcorners of their virtual neighborhood" story?

If Fiverr put half the effort into dealing with this that they do into making excuses as to why nothing can be done we might get somewhere.

https://twitter.com/joannsnover/status/449273561086435328
« Last Edit: March 27, 2014, 14:56 by Jo Ann Snover »

« Reply #139 on: March 27, 2014, 22:00 »
0
So this morning's find was this scumbucket who's offering three different artist's work in his samples:

gig

http://www.fiverr.com/mazgiti/provide-a-killer-30-healthcare-stock-photos




If there are more like this, then another angle could be used. He is also selling those DVDs illegally I assume. If we could figure out who the publisher is and let them in on the game. Publishers are probably more concerned about their property and may have legal teams to pursue this kind of thing.


ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #140 on: March 27, 2014, 22:07 »
0
I saw a lot of media coverage listed on the Fiverr web site. I wonder if we could get some of those outlets to be interested in a "great idea headed for oblivion because they won't tackle the thieves on the streetcorners of their virtual neighborhood" story?
If you submit a complaint to BBB, there is a box to tick if you are willing to speak to media about the issue. No idea how that works.

« Reply #141 on: March 28, 2014, 13:35 »
+5
So I thought some more about this mess yesterday and came to the conclusion that it was unlikely the Fiverr gigs selling stock were going to go away, so I would try a blog post aimed at sellers, showing them how they could do this legitimately (and why their subscription at Shutterstock or Thinkstock doesn't entitle them to resell what they download)

http://www.digitalbristles.com/fiverr-sellers-top-10-tips-for-stock-image-gigs/

I'll see if I can make an accounnt and post this in the Fiverr forums (link below). It's really too bad Fiverr isn't trying to educate sellers better.

http://forum.fiverr.com/discussion/27412/top-10-tips-for-gigs-selling-stock-images

I also added a note to Mike's post in their forums
« Last Edit: March 28, 2014, 14:22 by Jo Ann Snover »

« Reply #142 on: March 28, 2014, 18:10 »
0
That's almost like having people who download a full size image to check for imperfections, copyright issues, model releases and other things.  Crazy talk!

Stock sites pay 15-20% while Fiverr pays 80%.

Just sayin'

« Reply #143 on: March 28, 2014, 19:33 »
+2
That's almost like having people who download a full size image to check for imperfections, copyright issues, model releases and other things.  Crazy talk!


Stock sites pay 15-20% while Fiverr pays 80%.

Just sayin'


But look at their own FAQ for sellers (my emphasis):

"My Gig wasnt approved or its pending review, why?
When a Gig is pending review, our editors are taking a look at it to make sure that everything is fine and dandy with our Terms of Service. This is to insure the quality of Gigs that are active on Fiverr as well as compliance. If the Gig wasn't approved, you will receive an email notification specifying why that Gig didnt pass our editors review. - See more at: http://forum.fiverr.com/discussion/11298/fiverr-faq-sellers#sthash.XTJK0e4r.dpuf"

So they are reviewing gigs and somehow allowing so many of them which show samples from multiple stock portfolios (with sellers in locations that make the content they're selling highly unlikely)?

« Reply #144 on: March 28, 2014, 19:55 »
+3
Among the many odd things about Fiverr as a marketplace is the set of rules about anonymity - and I guess I already broke that in my choice of user name when I signed up, although I didn't read the terms until after I signed up...

You're not allowed to post any links to other sites; not allowed to communicate with a buyer anywhere else (no e-mail, only site mail);

"To protect our users' privacy, user identities must be kept anonymous. Requesting or providing Email addresses, Skype/IM usernames, telephone numbers or any other personal contact details (other than your name) to communicate outside of the Fiverr network is not permitted."

In the age of Google, if anyone has an online presence already, if you have their name you can find out how to contact them with a simple search.

Plus, if you were selling stock - legitimately - through their site (a) google images would tell you in a minute who was the owner of the photos; (b) I might want to know who I'm dealing with, not some "knock three times and ask for Fred" setup where I don't know if the copyright holder and the Gig seller were one and the same.

Now in the gigs I've looked at thus far with professional stock photos, they have had multiple portfolios represented, so I know they're bogus. But I gave a moments thought to putting together a collection of blog size images as a bundle and offering those for $5 (the fake-o folks are offering full size; I'd be offering blog sizes). The whole stay anonymous thing seems to me to be a bit of a problem though, on top of the residual worry about the way the marketplace is set up. In particular, I'd never offer full size images though them and I'd love to be able to have anyone who wanted something larger to do that elsewhere (my site or an agency).

As it was I couldn't post a link to my blog with the seller tips - although fortunately I could add the text to google after the link was removed - jo ann snover blog digital bristles finds it. One user (who had previously gotten into trouble for reselling images) asked if I could put the blog text in the forum. I replied that the blog had links to lots of useful information and no off site links are allowed, so it wouldn't work.

« Reply #145 on: March 29, 2014, 00:51 »
0
So they are reviewing gigs and somehow allowing so many of them which show samples from multiple stock portfolios (with sellers in locations that make the content they're selling highly unlikely)?

I didn't realize that. Thanks for pointing it out.

I've never sold anything there, but I'm considering selling my own images after reading about all of this.

« Reply #146 on: March 29, 2014, 03:54 »
+1
they aren't reviewing anything Jo Ann, I made a gig a week or so ago and it was active the second after

« Reply #147 on: March 29, 2014, 11:01 »
0
I would have guessed not from the response they gave Mike, but this is from their seller FAQ. So possibly certain categories get flagged?

EmberMike

« Reply #148 on: March 29, 2014, 12:38 »
0

Fiverr did mention to me that they are interested getting more stock image gigs direct from artists, maybe even set up a separate category/section. If anyone wants to sell at Fiverr, definitely reach out to them with any questions. They do seem receptive to getting some legit photo gigs going.

« Reply #149 on: March 29, 2014, 13:30 »
+1

Fiverr did mention to me that they are interested getting more stock image gigs direct from artists, maybe even set up a separate category/section. If anyone wants to sell at Fiverr, definitely reach out to them with any questions. They do seem receptive to getting some legit photo gigs going.

I've been toying with the idea of offering packages of blog sized images there (and probably on my own site). Picking things I think would make sense for bloggers and others looking to do things on the cheap and packaging them so they're an attractive deal but not a giveaway. I don't think I need any help from them to set it up though - I was looking through my pile of stuff to see what might make sense and think how to bundle.

All communications and deliveries take place through their system, so I guess I'd have to make a zip file with the license and the JPEGs, but I don't know how that part works. Given their attitudes towards IP, I'm a bit gun shy about working with them. Has the taste of Deposit Photos a bit...


 

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