Auction Sites Trafficking Stolen Goods Online
Copyright 2006 Jim Edwards
Ah yes, eBay! The online auction giant that makes all your dreams come true for finding that special something you can't find anywhere else.
It's like a giant garage sale in the sky.
Unfortunately, eBay's size makes it easy for people to sell stolen or unauthorized merchandise and not get caught.
To their credit, I think eBay does as much as humanly possible to police their site and shut down any offenders quickly.
However, I recently discovered that plenty of mischief still occurs, especially with downloadable products.
When checking my email yesterday, I found two messages that disturbed me.
The first was an automated message from eBay telling me about an auction selling an ebook about writing ebooks.
Another email came in from a good customer who sent me a link to another auction on eBay that, to them, "looked suspicious."
I clicked on the links for both auctions and found identical postings by two different sellers.
Though they did not mention my ebook, "How To Write and Publish Your Own eBook... in as little as 7 Days," the blatant similarity between the wording on the auctions and my http://www.7DayEbook.com website aroused my curiosity.
Since they didn't reference the ebook they were selling by title, I decided to go ahead and buy from both sellers to see what they sent me.
Imagine my horror when they both delivered my own ebook, which they were selling illegally.
I immediately got the auctions shut down, but the damage was already done.
Plenty of stolen merchandise gets sold via online auction sites.
People call it "bootlegged" or "unauthorized copies" to soften the wording for what they really know is "stolen merchandise."
Of the two sellers mentioned above, I believe one knew he was illegally selling my ebook and didn't care, while the other person was just ignorant and thought she could sell it because she'd bought it from someone else. Regardless of their true intentions, their actions were illegal.
Now, let's discuss how you protect yourself and your intellectual property against illegal sales and "bootlegging" on eBay and other online auction sites.
First, set up automated searches on the major online auction services.
Set them up to automatically notify you whenever an auction gets posted that includes your name or the name of your product.
You can also set them up to email you whenever an auction gets listed with certain keywords in it, in my case "write ebook."
Second, if you find someone has stolen your intellectual property (sales copy, ebooks, photos, graphics, software, etc.) you should first contact the seller and politely, but firmly, ask them to remove it.
If they don't, or if they take more than a few hours to respond, you should contact the auction site directly to request an immediate takedown of the offending auction.
eBay's "Vero" program, for example, enables you to simply fax in a form or send an email to get an auction removed.
You should also go back and check periodically to make sure that an offending seller doesn't start selling your product again once they think the uproar has died down.
Third, pay attention to emails from customers and prospects for signs of anything strange.
Watch for comments like "I saw your ebook for sale on eBay," or "I saw it cheaper on eBay."
Also, make sure to compare customer service inquiries to your customer database.
Anyone who asks specific questions about a product and appears to possess it, but never bought it from you, should immediately raise a red flag.
Always try to find out where they bought the product and get them to send you a copy of their email receipt, because all roads to the thief usually lead back through the credit card processor.
Finally, trust the never-failing boomerang of karma to come full circle and ultimately whack any thief in the head
Scott G (The G-Man) Warns of Advertising Overkill
A story on "advertainment" and the ways advertising appears in songs, TV shows, movies, and newspapers has been published by advertising writer and creative director Scott G (who is also recording artist The G-Man).The unusually-named Mr. G admits putting ad messages into some songs, but points out that many new forms of what he calls "advertainment" are coming. Among the predictions made by The G-Man in the article are:* Debit card scanners in TV sets and barcodes in commercials, so you can order during a spot with the flick of your remote.* Barcodes in songs, so you can download from iTunes by swiping your XM or Sirius player with your Visa or MasterCard.* Credit cards built into wristwatches, so your "plastic money" is always close at hand.* Links to product sites in every scene of DVD movies or computer games. * Broadcasts of infotainment and advertainment will pop up everywhere: in public restrooms, at the Starbucks, at traffic signals, at the gas pump, on your mailbox, in the packages...
Scott G (The G-Man) Warns of Advertising Overkill
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2 New Sony DV Camcorders Feature CMOS and 3 Megapixel CCD Sensors
Sony DCR-HC90E (DCRHC90E) 3 Megapixel CCD DV camcorder launches March 2005. High picture quality Sony DCR-PC1000E (DCRPC1000E) DV Camcorder launches April 2005. Features include Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* Lenses, 5.1-channel Surround Sound capability, Widescreen LCD, True Widescreen, and still image capture on Memory stick DUO. Full story at http://products.sony.co.uk/new_dv_camcorders.asp Sony DCR-PC1000ESony introduces the new DCR-PC1000E DV camcorder, equipped with three CMOS sensors and Enhanced Imaging Processor, enabling it to capture a wide dynamic range for precise image detail. The Sony DCR-PC1000E is intended for the experienced camcorder user, eager to shoot the best video picture quality, so it offers additional manual controls for professional use that can be accessed by an assignable dial.
Sony DCR-HC90ESony introduces the new DCR-HC90E DV camcorder, featuring a 3 Megapixel CCD with Primary...
2 New Sony DV Camcorders Feature CMOS and 3 Megapixel CCD Sensors
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Aspiring Film Producer Offers Involvement in Upcoming Movie For an Investment of ?25
London, England (ContentDesk) October 20, 2005 -- Fantail Productions are offering the chance to get involved in their upcoming low-budget film production, "Back to the Fantail" for a nominal investment of ?25.
Investors will receive a copy of the screenplay and access to a private Internet discussion forum where they can debate the script, vote on changes, and generally get involved in all the major decisions.
Budding actors can post up their profiles and casting will be done by majority vote of investors.
Investors will also have the opportunity to appear in the film as extras if they wish, and will receive a copy of the completed film on DVD.
"This isnt about creating a blockbuster or high-art, its about movie fans inspired by the recent wave of fan movies getting together to see what they can do its an exciting experiment", says John King, the author of the screenplay.
He continues "We aren't taking any money until we see how much...
Aspiring Film Producer Offers Involvement in Upcoming Movie For an Investment of ?25
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Go To Work In Your UNDERPANTS!
A Step-By-Step Guide for creating imaginative order pulling adverts for both on and offline marketingOK, let's get started!Rule One - The HeadlineThe headline is without doubt the most important part of your advert, that big chunky text at the top of your ad, if this doesn't grab their attention then you've lost a potential customer/sale. The sole function of your headline is to get the readers attention so that they will read the rest offer your offer, right? That's obvious, but pick up any newspaper and take a look at the classified section and look at all those lousy headlines :- Increase Your Sales TodayBeat InflationThe above headlines hardly make you want to read on, do they? In fact they'd be lucky to get a second glance. Let's say, for example, you was trying to promote a book about working from home on the Internet, what would be a good imaginative headline? Learn How To Work From Home On The InternetYawn!...Boring! Not exactly imaginative is it? OrGo To Work In Your UNDERPANTS!Hhmm....No...
Go To Work In Your UNDERPANTS!
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Is Your Marketing Full of Holes?
You wouldn't try to collect water in a bucket that leaked or catch fish with a torn net, but that is what many service professionals and small businesses do. They work hard to attract clients and customers but too often their marketing is full of holes.The biggest holes in small businesses' marketing efforts are in lead generation. For those that don't know it already, identifying, attracting and building a steady stream of prospects is the number one marketing task for growing a service business. You need to know who is interested in your products and services in order to market to them, again and again.Every small business has some sort of lead generation strategy, whether its just handing out business cards, sending out press releases, writing articles, asking for referrals or, in more recent years, putting up a web site. The problem is that many of these approaches are used sporadically not systematically, and techniques aren't in place to capture the contacts made.Interested prospects...
Is Your Marketing Full of Holes?
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5 Quick and Easy Fun Ways to Get in Shape
Getting and staying in shape doesn't have to be dull and boring!Try some of these fun fitness activities to make your workouttime more enjoyable. MUSICAL EXERCIES ? Put on your favorite music and do some yoga!No need for slow, elevator music. Move to your favorite beat. Orpop on the headphones or earphones and grab your MP3 or cassetteplayer or handheld PC and bike to a nearby park. Too cold orrainy? Then head to a mall or other enclosed area where you canwalk.
Caution: make sure you are alert while listening to musicwith headphones or earphones. FUN IN THE SUN ? Check out the latest tanning solutions and tryfun, scented versions with funky, multi-colored sunglasses. Grabyour cassette player or MP3 player and favorite tunes. And packsome flavored water, new flavored health bar that you've beendying to try and some frozen berries in your carryall for breaksand have a "sense"-ational time. FITNESS CLASSES ? Try out a new fitness class for fun.
Enjoy afull water aerobics workout...
5 Quick and Easy Fun Ways to Get in Shape
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