The hazards of file sharing

A few months back I was selling Gotham PD folder sets and Joker cards on eBay. Some time after I stopped selling them I remember sending someone a zip file with all the files I'd collected, over 120 of them that took me months to collect and manipulate, which I just found on eBay.

The Dark Knight - Digital Prop Collection



The seller, "dstruzan" is offering just those files and he's even using one of my old auction pics to sell them. Unfortunately, my auction was too long ago and doesn't appear when you click on it which just proves this guy kept the pic from my auction and has been saving it all this time.

There must be something you can do, maybe report the auction if you still have those files backed up that you can use as evidence. Hope you can get him!

I know the feeling! That is why there is a lovely link at the bottem of the sale!

[COLOR=#0000cc]Report this item[/COLOR]

Make it so!!!!

I also hate that he is using as a username the name of the famous illustrator Drew Struzan...
I'm sure you can report him for copyright violation... And since you are not selling those things anymore...

Someone already used the Buy It Now option so I'll trust karma to catch up with him... unless he relists them, and then I've got a couple of ideas.

I couldn't really use any of the reporting aspects since my old auction had expired. If it was still there, I could've used it to show he was using my pic and that would've done it. Copyright violation would've taken them too long to investigate, but I did send him a message telling him what a d.b. I thought he was.

I also noticed the Struzan reference after I did a Google search on the user name and that bugged me too. Further more, I checked his feedback and the most recent transaction there was from May '07 so I'm thinking this is an old account he used to conceal his identity.

paulv70 said:

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A few months back I was selling Gotham PD folder sets and Joker cards on eBay. Some time after I stopped selling them I remember sending someone a zip file with all the files I'd collected, over 120 of them that took me months to collect and manipulate, which I just found on eBay.

The Dark Knight - Digital Prop Collection



The seller, "dstruzan" is offering just those files and he's even using one of my old auction pics to sell them. Unfortunately, my auction was too long ago and doesn't appear when you click on it which just proves this guy kept the pic from my auction and has been saving it all this time.

can i ask...why did u send him the actual files in the first place???

That's really low of him to do that with your work. I've been fortunate enough to have files sent to me by others for my use, and I'd never consider selling or otherwise trying to make money off of them.

And, unfortunately, things like this will end up convincing others to not share--which hurts everyone in the process.

Aquaman said:

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can i ask...why did u send him the actual files in the first place???

Probably because the guy asked him nicely and he (paulv70) didn't think the guy would go off and try and hock the entire file contents on eBay.

Sorry to hear this happened to you I agree, let's hope Karma is a boomerang and comes back to knock this no talent *** clown on his ***.

It looks to me as if all of that stuff was the free download stuff you could get online during the PR campain for The Dark Knight. I download about 99% of what I could see in that auction for free, I am not sure how his selling it online and you selling it online is diffrent. True, he may have recieved the files form you but if they were a free download in the first place whats the diffrence?

Not trying to step on any toes, butr I just dont see the diffrence.

Is he a member of the RPF?

It's true that most of the files were available for download on the various viral sites, but I had to work on many of them to make them print ready. Some had to be cropped or resized, some had to have certain elements isolated or enhanced and some like the folder I made from scratch. The 72 Joker cards (36 fronts and backs) were never made publicly available though. I had to hunt all over the internet to compile those.

If he'd actually printed them all out and done all the work I did to compile the set, I'd still have a problem but not nearly as big as one.

One other thing about this, in the pic he took from my auction there's a postcard that was original and never scanned so the winner won't be getting at least one item that's shown in his auction.

I hate the idea that this may discourage file sharing because I love to share. That's why I sent these to him in the first place. It was probably stupid of me to send them all at once though.

paulv70 said:

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I hate the idea that this may discourage file sharing because I love to share. That's why I sent these to him in the first place. It was probably stupid of me to send them all at once though.

Then I'm not sure what you are upset about?

You sent him everything. What did you honestly expect?

I can understand if you sold him a set then he copied them, and is selling them as his own work. But you SENT him the originals yourself. No offense, but you kind of set yourself up for it.

CeSquared said:

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Then I'm not sure what you are upset about?

You sent him everything. What did you honestly expect?

I can understand if you sold him a set then he copied them, and is selling them as his own work. But you SENT him the originals yourself. No offense, but you kind of set yourself up for it.

I can see why he's upset. Though if it were me it would be more like dissapointment. He provided this guy all the files and the guy is now making a profit. I feel he taking advantage of anothers generosity. But paulv70 didn't have to share anything. I'm sure if he knew in advance the guy was going to sell them for profit the result might have been different.

It really is disapointment and the funny thing is if he'd asked I'd have probably said yes.

Sorry to see this happen.
Hopefully it wont put people off sharing.

I am literally seething now and need some advice. I've reported it to eBay and they say they'll see what they can do. When I reached a Power Seller status I got a number so I was able to call the report in.

I've considered asking other people to file reports, buying one myself so I can get the guys name and address and then plaster it all over the internet... I don't know. I'm just not thinking clearly at this moment. I keep thinking about all those hours and hours of work I put into these files.

Does anyone have any ideas?

rollerboi said:

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Sorry to hear. Seems this person is either a member, or watching the board (this is a publicly accessible forum, I believe). Whatever the situation, if they're reading this, this message is for you: you are a *********.

One thing you (Paul) can do, since it's not going to cost you anything in its electronic form - just like it doesn't cost him anything - is to give it away. Run your own auctions mirroring his, but stating that his are stolen and yours are available for free at the following link...

Thereby undercutting all of his sales and eliminating his profits. Of course, you'll have to be willing to take a burn on these products ..

Just a suggestion.

That violates a few policies. Referencing another person's listings in your own can get yours removed. It may also violate the Selling Digital Items policy as well. And posting any listing to deliberately interfere with another seller's listings can get you suspended.

Oy. Well, that's just plain stupid, then.

looks like both listings have been removed anyway.

paulv70 said:

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I am literally seething now and need some advice. I've reported it to eBay and they say they'll see what they can do. When I reached a Power Seller status I got a number so I was able to call the report in.

I've considered asking other people to file reports, buying one myself so I can get the guys name and address and then plaster it all over the internet... I don't know. I'm just not thinking clearly at this moment. I keep thinking about all those hours and hours of work I put into these files.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Hmm...you could always contact his potential bidders and spread the word about the stolen material.

Edit: Oops...didn't read about the possible 'violations' of evilbay's policies. Probably not a good idea.

Both auctions were removed so I'm satsified. Thanks everyone for letting me rant a little.

I hope this'll be the end of it but I did put together my own auction pics just in case. If he tries to relist again I'll put up my own auction at half whatever his price is.