What does it mean if you have a listing removed due to.......

[BettySpaghetti]

..."design right violation"?

The email from ebay makes no sense to me . It says:

"You may not list items on eBay that breach the design rights of an individual or company. A design right protects the visual design of an object, items that breach the design rights of an individual or company are unlawful".

The item in question was a new unopened pack of Tumble Dryer Balls ( I bought some for my Mum after we discussed them recently but she, in the meantime, had bought herself some so I thought I'd sell them on ebay). I used a photo I had taken myself of the item I'm selling.

Anyone any idea?

I had this but it was when I used an image from a well known website - I had obviously not asked their permission Can't see why your own photo would be a problem though.

I'd just relist it...

Sounds like they think you are selling fake tumble dryer balls

...and calling them tumble dryer balls

It sounds daft. I hope you can figure it out, what a pain.

lol -thats right I have a secret factory producing them in the shed. It was a toss up between printing fake £50 notes or making fake TD Balls so I plumped for the balls

Actually before I listed them there were quite a few other identical ones listed but now all of the ones pictured in the packaging ( bar one) have been removed.

Why remove them all except that one??

I hate ebay. Where are they when the real crooks are ripping people off?

off to have a look...

Ok I'm completely baffled. It looks like some geezer has the monopoly on them doesn't it? Are yours JML or whetever? There is one pair that looks like a copy iyswim, but it is still there

Oh the illicit world of laundry accessories...

Look at this

Also click on the Vero link at the left hand side. It looks like they might have removed them thinking they are copies of the real thing.

Seriously!

Oh no! do you think I've stepped on someones toes and have now got the laundry accessories mafia after me ?

BTW, mine aren't the JML ones but are identical to the only other pack shown on the listings.

Yes I think big daffia or whatever he's called is going to come round and whip you with a conditioner sheet

I reckon they haven't got round to removing the other one yet. That's all.

Ebay are a law unto themselves. They are not consistent, ever.

But , your honour, I bought them in a legitimate shop. They didn't fall off the back of a lorry. Honest.

So if I re-listed them minus photo and made no reference to the make could I still sell them without getting in trouble ? (which is what I suspect the person who's got loads listed with phots of the balls without packaging has done)

bump for anyone in the know???

Message withdrawn

What knickers said. Ebay don't trawrough all the listings they tend to remove only the ones the that have been reported to them so it is entirely possible that another seller has reported the auctions that have been removed.

No it can't have been another seller as the email from ebay gave details of the company that reported it for "violating their intellectual property rights" (I presume the manufacturer of the balls?)

Message withdrawn

Yeah it doesn't have to be the company themselves that complain it could have been another seller saying this listing got their picture off my site/joebloggs.com and ebay will send you and every other seller they pulled a bog standard email saying above.
In fact the picture was one you took yourself not pinched from another site so ebay obviously don't check.

Thanks everyone

I guess I didn't realise that ebay just pull listings left, right and centre without checking the finer details. B*stards.

I've just checked the listings and it seems a few more of exactly the same balls, with photos, have just been listed on a Buy It Now basis. Wonder if they'll be pulled

it will be the photo of the item. listings that have photos of labels and/or logos can get pulled - some companies are really keen