How to name and shame hotlinking thieves

[los_design]

Hi Guys

To stop the BW stealers, here is a novel idea that was requested by one of our clients...checkout the link and tell me if you can see the result ;)

This guy steals bandwidth off many suppliers - how to stop hotlinking (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=001&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=110006674415&rd=1&rd=1)

BTW, notice the keywords to help the SEs index this guy. After this, we then tell them to remove ALL our items and add a few lines of code to the htaccess file.

Enjoy

[TraceyHand]

I've had problems with this before too..again, Ebay..

Check this out.. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-DOROTHY-PERKINS-MATERNITY-UNDER-B-DENIM-SKIRT-SZ-14_W0QQitemZ150012416951QQihZ005QQcategoryZ314QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
(scroll down to the photo within the listing)
I first complained to the seller about 6 months ago..she replied claiming the photo was her own (she assumed I meant the main photo, not the one in the listing) and said she would "await an apology" from me!
I replied informing her that the photo in the listing was not only mine..but linked to my webspace. I received no further response..so.. I did what you see now!

And, many months on, she either doesn't know or doesn't care!
Either way, it's advertising for me because she's using it in about 4 or 5 different auctions!

[los_design]

Nice Tracey

I do like the nsame and shame aspect (plus the free marketing they allow us ;) )

Regards

[acompton]

I get a small, watermarked picture of a Hitachi power tool.
If I scroll down, I get the 'stolen image' message.

Alan

[Stereo Steve]

We had this on Ebay so we promptly changed our listings and changed the image to text saying 'Buy one, get 2 Free' in big letters. He stopped using it about 24 hours later. Hopefully he had some very satisfied customers.

[TraceyHand]

We had this on Ebay so we promptly changed our listings and changed the image to text saying 'Buy one, get 2 Free' in big letters. He stopped using it about 24 hours later. Hopefully he had some very satisfied customers.

LOL that's funny!!
Might have to think about trying that one
:D

[los_design]

We had this on Ebay so we promptly changed our listings and changed the image to text saying 'Buy one, get 2 Free' in big letters. He stopped using it about 24 hours later. Hopefully he had some very satisfied customers.

:D

Now thats quality....

[los_design]

We had this on Ebay so we promptly changed our listings and changed the image to text saying 'Buy one, get 2 Free' in big letters. He stopped using it about 24 hours later. Hopefully he had some very satisfied customers.
Sorry for the plagerism but I have updated the image

Great one, hope you don't mind :cool:

[TraceyHand]

Out of interest, what does the tiny text at the bottom say?

Very funny though...I'm betting he'll remove the image quicksmart now!

[los_design]

Out of interest, what does the tiny text at the bottom say?

Very funny though...I'm betting he'll remove the image quicksmart now!
The above offer may not be honoured...

It now appears on all the images he has stolen from our client.

:cool:

[Stereo Steve]

#8 It's officially open source.

[leehack]

I took exception to a persistant hot linker one day, he was selling the same products as one of my clients, yet didnt have the brains to just copy them, he linked to them instead. I was going to warn him about it, but i thot stuff it, he's in the wrong and i duly changed it to an image one would never want to see. Within 3 days his 50 odd hotlinks had disappeared and a short email was received:

Apologies, i've got the message and sorted it now.

Regards

Mr X

Watermark your images and when they use them, you get free advertising is now my stance.

[los_design]

I took exception to a persistant hot linker one day, he was selling the same products as one of my clients, yet didnt have the brains to just copy them, he linked to them instead. I was going to warn him about it, but i thot stuff it, he's in the wrong and i duly changed it to an image one would never want to see. Within 3 days his 50 odd hotlinks had disappeared and a short email was received:

Apologies, i've got the message and sorted it now.

Regards

Mr X

Watermark your images and when they use them, you get free advertising is now my stance.

any clue as to the image (pre-watershed rules apply)

I cannot believe no-one has bought one yet...that would make me chuckle BIG TIME into my smoking jacket.

[leehack]

There were 2 people in the picture....
Further clues at 8pm.....

[NormanRouxel]

Darren,

I see you've now changed your image to "Special Offer ... Buy one and get one free". Brilliant! That should cause the pirate lots of bother.

[Stereo Steve]

He obvioulsy needs a bit of viral marketing help if he can't flog them at half price.

Dum dee dum.

[los_design]

Darren,

I see you've now changed your image to "Special Offer ... Buy one and get one free". Brilliant! That should cause the pirate lots of bother.

Indeed, canny take the credit Norman I am afraid, a big shout out goes to stereo steve.

He obvioulsy needs a bit of viral marketing help if he can't flog them at half price.

Dum dee dum.
That would seem to be the case, maybe time to unleash some bots that I may have lying around for such an incident onto his website and see how he likes bloated bw stats....this gits actions made a joke of my last months analysis.

[leehack]

Change it to 9pm DJ, you'll catch the rush hour then.

[NormanRouxel]

And if you've server bandwith to spare you could scale that image up a bit and give his customers a 10Mb file to load. It'll still be displayed at 400px wide but should slow things down a lot.

[leehack]

Nah we want people to access the auction and buy things!

[Stereo Steve]

Seems to be people talking about it on the Ebay community boards. Amazing how offers get out so quick.

[los_design]

Change it to 9pm DJ, you'll catch the rush hour then.
All done leeski....

[los_design]

Seems to be people talking about it on the Ebay community boards. Amazing how offers get out so quick.
Which forum stevie my boy

[leehack]

Well what i did made a few of us laugh at the time, but i have to say that is class. His feedback should get trashed, im tempted to save the page, and buy all 7 off him and trash his feedback accordingly.

Myspace idiots should be next.

[Stereo Steve]

Questions and answers

[los_design]

Well what i did made a few of us laugh at the time, but i have to say that is class. His feedback should get trashed, im tempted to save the page, and buy all 7 off him and trash his feedback accordingly.

Myspace idiots should be next.

Thank you for those kind words, me smells a business opp. time to get some affiliate links up fast :cool:

[los_design]

marvellous, small text has been removed.

[party_pete]

Don't suppose he's using your images on any of the cordless power drills?

I will split the proceeds that I raise by selling the 'free' one I get! ;)

[los_design]

Don't suppose he's using your images on any of the cordless power drills?

I will split the proceeds that I raise by selling the 'free' one I get! ;)
No, but he is using a very big companies images on EVERYTHING ELSE....

[los_design]

For a one off fee, we will police all images on your domain...this is a limited service so please form an orderly queue to my left.

:D
(ps Trading Standards, this is a tongue in cheek ad, BUT we do monitor ALL traffic on our client sites....period)

[Stereo Steve]

He's ended them. Shame.

[los_design]

"The seller ended this listing early because the item is no longer available for sale"

I don't think he's twigged yet....:D
Well,

I did send him this at 11am today

Dear sir

It has been brought to our attention that you have hotlinked this items image outside of ebay (along with many others) direct to our website and also that of tooled-up.com to name but one.

We are now giving you legal notice to remove all such links and images within 48 hours.

We have also obtained your sales record for the last 90 days and have forwarded this to our legal team who will be researching any sales made using our images.

I can assure you that IF any of these sales are linked to our images, we will be seeking full and frank legal recompense through the law courts as you have blatantly breached UK Copyright. We have NEVER given explicit permission for you to use any of our content.

We have also notified tooled up amongst others and you may find that similar action from these will follow.

Ebay have been notifed under the VeRo programme.

If these listings are NOT REMOVED WITHIN 48 HOURS, we will begin legal proceedings without further notice

He has killed of 1 but not the other 3 yet :cool:

Item number: 110006699846
Item number: 110006691971
Item number: 110006686329

[TraceyHand]

There were 2 people in the picture....
Further clues at 8pm.....

*check clock*
Is it 8pm yet?
:p

[leehack]

They were unattired.
9pm update coming soon....

[TraceyHand]

9pm update coming soon....

s'pose I better go do something productive for an hour then... ;)

[los_design]

They were unattired.
9pm update coming soon....
Awwwwwww come on Lee.....

All ended, looks like a successful day in the life of bandwidth pirate chasers, not got the same ring as ghost busters has it.

[TraceyHand]

All ended, looks like a successful day in the life of bandwidth pirate chasers, not got the same ring as ghost busters has it.


oooh....I want a E-proton gun! Reckon I'd look good with one :cool:

[TraceyHand]

9pm update coming soon....

*taps watch and looks around*

[george]

I won't reveal my tecniques, just that they work. :D

[TraceyHand]

I won't reveal my tecniques, just that they work.

oh now..come on George...tell us all about your techniques :p

[PaulGrimshaw]

apologies on being ignorant, but how do you tell if someone is hotlinking your images?

Thanks,
paul.

[TraceyHand]

you should be able to tell through your site stats.
I found mine from checking through my referring sites and seeing where the images were getting hits from
There are some strange websites using some of my images..but it was this one Ebayer in particular who got my....omg..I'm gonna say it...GOAT
hth anyway

[george]

oh now..come on George...tell us all about your techniques :p

*checks that it IS still the Actinic forum* :eek:

[george]

Hardest hotlinking to trace (no pun etc) has to be myspace... or bebobollocks... :mad:

[TraceyHand]

(no pun etc)

LMAO
yeh....sure...

[TraceyHand]

*checks that it IS still the Actinic forum*

*types reply...deletes reply...decides against posting reply.. rambles insanely*

[Owen Drumm]

We have been victims of Ebay hotlinking but decided to fight back. I am sure that Ebay would approve.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/34-Protein-Bars-Met-Rx-Nitro-Tech-Meso-Tech-PP-j_W0QQitemZ180115005327QQihZ008QQcategoryZ40963QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[george]

We have been victims of Ebay hotlinking but decided to fight back. I am sure that Ebay would approve.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/34-Protein-Bars-Met-Rx-Nitro-Tech-Meso-Tech-PP-j_W0QQitemZ180115005327QQihZ008QQcategoryZ40963QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


Goat Point for `Slimfast Bird' Owen, well done. :)

[chris ashdown]

Looks like she ate the g**t, take it all back jonty your in the clear