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Policy overview
eBay members are not allowed to use images—including photos and other pictures—or text they didn't create themselves. Exceptions to this policy would be if they are authorized to do so by the owner, its agent, or the law.
You can use images and text descriptions from the eBay product catalog in your listings without violating this policy. The product catalog may include, at our discretion, select seller-generated images or photos from seller listings. Unless the seller opts out of this program, the inclusion of such seller-generated photos in the eBay product catalog and the use of catalog content by eBay sellers in their eBay listings is authorized under the User Agreement.
If you choose not to use photos or product descriptions from eBay’s product catalog, the best way to make sure you follow our policies is to take your own photos and write your own descriptions. This will help you avoid the risks of using someone else’s pictures or text, and you won’t need to worry about getting permission from any third parties.
Make sure your listing follows these guidelines. If it doesn't, it may be removed, and you may be subject to a range of other actions, including limits of your buying and selling privileges and suspension of your account.
What are the guidelines?
If you're not using pictures or text from the eBay product catalog, you should use your own when creating a listing. If you're using someone else’s photos and text, make sure you're authorized to do so.
Allowed |
Photos and text you created yourself All eBay product catalog photos and text
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Restricted |
You can use the following only if you're authorized to do so by the owner, its agent, or the law:
Information on product packaging
It’s usually OK to use information such as measurements, weight, or other item specifications that are necessary to describe the item and simply can’t be said any other way. However, you should avoid using any other text from product packaging unless you are authorized to do so by the owner, its agent, or the law.
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Not allowed |
You're not allowed to use the following if you're not authorized to do so by the owner, its agent, or the law:
Photos and text from other eBay users Photos and text copied from websites Scans from catalogs or advertisements
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Here are some examples of things members aren't allowed to do:
A member likes part of a product description she's read and copies and pastes it into the listing she's writing. She didn't receive permission from the original writer to use their content.
A member uses a picture from another member's listing without first getting their permission to use it.
A member is unable to take her own photos of the item so instead copies a photo from another website without prior permission.
Member reports
Members can’t copy pictures or text from another member’s listing unless they're authorized to do so by the owner, its agent, or the law.
If you believe another member is using your photos or text in violation of these guidelines (for example, the pictures are not included in the eBay product catalog and the member is not otherwise authorized by you, your agent, or the law to use them), please follow these standards when contacting us:
Make sure you are the original owner and creator of the picture or text.
If reporting text, the copied text needs to be in the description. Because of the limited space in which to describe items, some similarity will occur between titles and subtitles for the same merchandise, so we won't typically remove a listing for similar text in these areas.
Provide an item number from your account that clearly shows you were the first to list an item with the photos or text you created. If you reuse your photos and text in many of your listings, please give us the item number of the earliest possible instance of using the photos or text.
If you believe you have a valid report for someone using your image or text, you can contact us to report it.
VeRO reports
eBay developed the Verified Rights Owner (VeRO) program to facilitate cooperation between eBay and rights owners protecting their intellectual property rights.
Learn more about how rights owners can report intellectual property infringements.
Other reports
If you’re not the original creator of the picture or text or if you don’t own the rights to the material, you shouldn’t send a member report or report the listing through the VeRO program. However, you may consider contacting the rights owner directly with your report.
You can find many rights owners by reviewing the list of VeRO Program Participant About Me pages.
Copyright law protects original works of authorship—which may include certain pictures or text—from being used or copied without authorization from the person or company that owns the copyright, its agent, or the law. You can find helpful information about copyright law at www.copyright.gov.
Why does eBay have this policy? eBay members aren't allowed to use images or text they didn't create themselves. Exceptions to this policy would be if they are authorized to do so by the owner, its agent, or the law. Be sure to follow our guidelines.
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