I think I'll continue to post some old photos :) ...

[hang the expense]

Two can play that game. Perhaps everyone should buy the cheapest thing avilable from the ebayer, then post negitive comments and ratings. It doesn't take many to drop their seller rating and drive buyers away from them.....

Excellent idea.

[Punisher05]

Glad you'll be continuing to share what you've found with us Mark. You've got good reason to be hacked at the misuse of your efforts, and a good heart to keep going anyway.

Remember: Non Illigitimus Carborundum!



-Brandon

[Stoney]

Thanks Mark, I really enjoy your pictures.

[DH82EH]

Hey Mark,
Great to hear that you are not going to let some "douchenozzles and thieving underwear stains" (thanks for that Lynn) ruin something that you enjoy.
The biggest loss would be to all of us WIXers.
I definitely support any decision you make Mark. Thanks!

Andy Scott

[Pogo]

Well, this has proven an interesting thread on many accounts. I was hoping Jack would chime in. In short, I have learned a few things, about a few things, that I did not know before, and this is precisely why I volunteer a small monthly $ubscription to this site. I really hated to see Jack go, but Mark is a most excellent consolation prize............

RandolphB's idea is good, I liked it. And Lynn's way with words is priceless!

[Dan Johnson II]

I understand the concerns.

Mark I think your biggest goal is to share the history though correct? A photo that never sees the light of day is nothing more then some ink on paper stored away in a box or whatever.

Too many folks buy photos and then never share them. What's the point then? There will always be folks who will abuse the gift you are sharing in educating others. I think it's a small price to pay for the appreciation most people have for what you are doing. It always cracks me up when I see some of my Spitfire pictures show up in all sorts of goofy places. I keep reminding myself that someone learned something from seeing them.

[AG pilot]

Please keep posting photos here, as I enjoy these posts immensely. I am glad you let eBay know about the problems you are having with these people, and hopefully something will be done. Thanks again for the photos you have posted!!

[lmritger]

*bows graciously*

Sorry Mark, didn't mean to steal any thunder from ya! But yeah, you have to be creative to get around the filter yet still be able to express your absolute disgust for individuals like that.

Cheers all, and glad you're back in the saddle Mark-

Lynn

[Mark Allen M]

Good morning all and again thx for the encouragement. Yah! I'll try to keep the 'train' rolling here with some good stuff I can dig up along the way.

I've spent a bit of time doing some research and a few of you are correct (as I somewhat already imagined) there really isn't much I personally can do to prevent someone from attempting to sell photos that I have posted here on WIX. (other than to quit posting altogether) I've contacted Ebay and will wait and see if they respond, and actually see what they have to say. I'm not holding my breathe for anything great to happen as after all it's been argued these old photos really don't belong to me anyway even if many are from my own collections.

I either live with it or pack my bags and move on. And as many of you have stated, it wouldn't be fair to US here on WIX. So I'll continue with a better attitude that at least we here have an opportunity to enjoy these photos no matter what anyone else attempts to do with them.

[T Ricketts]

Glad to see you are going to continue to post pictures Mark. I'm fairly new to WIX, but grew up around warbirds. I have found the pictures you post to be VERY informative. If not just the pictures, but the comments that are made about some details that I didn't know or missed. Keep up the great work!!

[bilwor]

OORAH!

[Mark Allen M]

For those who have an interest, I received a response from the folks at EBay who in no small terms basically stated there is very little that can be done in my case. No point in going into detail here as it's a big moot point now anyway. Again I wasn't expecting much as I knew my case was shaky at best.

According to Ebay my photos have been listed as of the 'public domain' and 'creative commons' type and essentially I have no concrete rights to claim them as my own even if I did watermark them. That was interesting, but not surprising.

The moral of the story is if you care about where your photos could end up after you post them online anywhere is to watermark the sh*t out of them or better yet don't post them at all. That way you won't have to waste life worrying about it or attempting to fight a losing battle.

And BTW for those who find themselves in a situation like this and feel the need to pursue recourse legally, all I can suggest by my research is good luck and save your money, you'll need a lot of both.

It's overcast and gloomy here this morning, no wonder

[zorro7]

Mark:

I'm glad you 've reconsidered this subject. There are thousands of a/c pics out there that others will never see. LIFE Mag gave us a fine example of what to do with their collection by simply sharing 'em with us. Tks for all your efforts, all of us aviation buffs certainly appreciate it.

p.s Life's short anyway!

[Mark Allen M]

Mark: I'm glad you 've reconsidered this subject. p.s Life's short anyway!

Somewhat reconsidered, and yes correct you are about life being too short. It's the end of story on this issue though. Time to move on.

[mike furline]

I haven't had time to read the entire thread and I can understand how Mark is a bit upset about spending a lot of time & effort posting pics and then someone else uses them to sell on ebay, but most of the pictures Mark has posted (which I enjoy) are "public domain".
As an example, the majority of the Naval Aviation pictures (no matter where he sourced them from) originate from and are kept at NARA (College Park, MD) in the RG-80 collection. They are free to anyone who wants to go there, look through the boxes of pictures and scan them. I have hundreds/thousands of these scans myself. I've spent days/weeks/months going to NARA making these scans, and if I chose too I could sell them, post them, etc..

Again, I get how you feel slighted and I certainly don't mean any disrespect, but at least you got to do this from the comfort of your own home. You're sourcing pictures from the internet (excluding your own private photographs), posting them, and are upset when someone else sources them from WIX.

Last edited by mike furline on Tue Jun 04, 2013 4:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.