Bad Guy Reptilesncritters.com - Thieves

[Mister Internet]

It really doesn't take that much of an investment of time or money to take and use your own photos.

You can only do that when you're actually selling something you have in stock. When you flip items you have never (and will never) see in person, it's nearly impossible to represent it honestly, which is why you have to resort to stealing photos of high quality animals to lure customers into a sale.

Out of his OWN MOUTH... he:

- doesn't upload any of the images
- doesn't write any of the species descriptions or scientific names
- doesn't handle any of the animals he sells
- doesn't ship any of the animals he sells
- doesn't manage the content of his own website

I'm wonder what, exactly, he DOES do... for a guy that's so busy he can't delete photos proactively, he sure seems to NOT do a lot of stuff...

All this fantastic business acumen AND based in Brooklyn... I'm surprise he isn't running a camera/electronics site too...

 

[Chris Anderson]

Hmmm...by your own admission back in 2007 you yourself were "borrowing" photos from other sites to replace the ones you got called out for using in violation of copyright.

from ReptilesNCritters.com [email protected]
to Chris Anderson <[email protected]>
date Sat, Dec 22, 2007 at 4:31 PM
subject Re: wiedersheimi
hide details 12/22/07
Chris Anderson, sorry about my "law breaking ways." Of course I will remove the photo if you have a problem with it. Do you know of any places I can "borrow" a decent photo from?

Thank you,
Robert Crespo
ReptilesNCritters.com

Chris

 

[Lucille]

why is what I write to someone in private NOT protected, and can be freely distributed to all, but the "creation" by someone in the form of a photograph is protected?

If you had done even a smidge of research into the law you find out for yourself what the law says about these two situations. Obviously, checking the law is not one of your strong points, hence, this thread

You want to be fed like a baby in a high chair, and have US do the work to tell you the legalities.

Considering some of your answers at the beginning of the thread, I bet you have not in fact seen the light and are instead simply trying to put a spin on.

Heck NO I wouldn't buy anything from you after reading some of the garbage you've put on a plate and served to people here.

 

[crespo72]

As it's easy to see from other BOI threads about your business dating at least back to 2008 citing the exact same issue, time will tell if you actually WILL take responsibility this time around. Or if you'll just go right back to your habitual behavior (or lack of oversight- same difference) as soon as "the heat is off."

I personally find it hard to believe it was a single subcontractor who has been taking these photos from other places and repeatedly posting them on your site for three years now.

It still sounds to me like you have zero respect for the breeders and owners whose work you are effectively taking credit for and stealing by using their photos to represent your own stock, you see this all as some minor technicality. Perhaps you do have your customers' permission to use their photos, but given the irresponsible attitude you've displayed about the entire issue to date in this thread, I personally have my own doubts on that point.

It really doesn't take that much of an investment of time or money to take and use your own photos.

lauraleellbp, it's actually incredibly time consuming to source photos for some of the more harder to find critters. Since I do not own the stock I am selling, I do not have access to the animals to take proper photographs of. My weakness has been in relying on my customers and anonymous fans in sending to me what I thought were their own photos. To be fair and balanced, not everything on my website is an images that has been used without permission. I literally have hundreds of images that are permission based because they are my suppliers images or my customers legitimate images.

 

[Lucille]

My weakness has been in relying on my customers and anonymous fans in sending to me what I thought were their own photos.

Translation:

"I got caught with my hand in the cookie jar so now I am going to make all this mess the fault of my customers"

 

[crespo72]

Hmmm...by your own admission back in 2007 you yourself were "borrowing" photos from other sites to replace the ones you got called out for using in violation of copyright.



Chris

Chris, what can I say? I am only human and make mistakes from time to time like the rest of humanity.

 

[Amelanistic Orca]

Translation:

"I got caught with my hand in the cookie jar so now I am going to make all this mess the fault of my customers"

Bingo!!!! Yahtzee!! What do we have for her Johnny!!!

 

[Lucille]

I actually think it's is sad and pathetic that so many of you waste your valuable time scouring the internet for "copy write" infringement. I am mean, come on, don't you folks have better things to do with your time?

Chris, what can I say? I am only human and make mistakes from time to time like the rest of humanity.

Spin doctor par excellence

 

[crespo72]

Let me set the record straight with the wise cracking Mister Internet:

You can only do that when you're actually selling something you have in stock. When you flip items you have never (and will never) see in person, it's nearly impossible to represent it honestly, which is why you have to resort to stealing photos of high quality animals to lure customers into a sale.

Out of his OWN MOUTH... he:

- doesn't upload any of the images FALSE I upload 100% of the photo on the website.
- doesn't write any of the species descriptions or scientific names False I write the species names as I see them on my suppliers price list.
- doesn't handle any of the animals he sells TRUE I handle the very time consuming aspects of customer service, marketing, answer phones, and website maintenance.
- doesn't ship any of the animals he sells TRUE My supplier ship the animals in my behalf.
- doesn't manage the content of his own website FALSE I manage all the content. I have a freelance writer who writes my care guides and I write many of the the animal descriptions.

 

[Lucille]

and I write many of the the animal descriptions.

I bet they are great descriptions, after all, the descriptions are based on some of the best (stolen) images in the industry

 

[Amelanistic Orca]

Shelf life=super short!!

Let me set the record straight with the wise cracking Mister Internet:

You can only do that when you're actually selling something you have in stock. When you flip items you have never (and will never) see in person, it's nearly impossible to represent it honestly, which is why you have to resort to stealing photos of high quality animals to lure customers into a sale.

Out of his OWN MOUTH... he:

- doesn't upload any of the images FALSE I upload 100% of the photo on the website.
- doesn't write any of the species descriptions or scientific names False I write the species names as I see them on my suppliers price list.
- doesn't handle any of the animals he sells TRUE I handle the very time consuming aspects of customer service, marketing, answer phones, and website maintenance.
- doesn't ship any of the animals he sells TRUE My supplier ship the animals in my behalf.
- doesn't manage the content of his own website FALSE I manage all the content. I have a freelance writer who writes my care guides and I write many of the the animal descriptions.

 

[crespo72]

I bet they are great descriptions, after all, the descriptions are based on some of the best (stolen) images in the industry

Ouch, there really is no pleasing you Lucille, is there?.

As the old saying goes, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."

 

[Lucille]

Ouch, there really is no pleasing you Lucille, is there?.

This thread is about YOU not about ME. If you would CHECK YOUR FACTS (you don't do that, hence, this thread) you would see many wholesome and supportive posts I've written. None about you, because you are not worth that after stealing photos,and then trying to put down this community for their support of those who own the images.

 

[crespo72]

This thread is about YOU not about ME. If you would CHECK YOUR FACTS (you don't do that, hence, this thread) you would see many wholesome and supportive posts I've written. None about you, because you are not worth that after stealing photos,and then trying to put down this community for their support of those who own the images.

I better quite for you all tar and feather me. I am sorry that I offended you but your last comment did come across as a touch to harsh.

Anyway, that's all I have time for folks. It's been a pleasure getting a well deserved tongue lashing from some of the members of this community. I am calling it a day for now and I hope everyone has a pleasant evening.

 

[MDC_Ophiuchus]

One day someone is going to get their behind royally sued over copyright violation of a image used without permission over the internet. Then maybe people will wake wake and start taking it all seriously.

If its artwork, the artist took time and skill to create it. By law, they own the moment its completed. It doesn't matter if its watermarked or whatever. It's theirs.

If its a photo, the photograph took the time, skill and proper equipment to make the shot. They own it. It doesn't matter if its watermarked or whatever. It's theirs.

Internet is irrelevant. I'm surprised more people don't sue over this stuff, but I guess money comes into play. But I suppose if someone out there stole an image of mine, and is using it to make money, you can bet your rear they'll get served.

 

[Suncoast Herpetological]

I better quite for you all tar and feather me. I am sorry that I offended you but your last comment did come across as a touch to harsh.

Anyway, that's all I have time for folks. It's been a pleasure getting a well deserved tongue lashing from some of the members of this community. I am calling it a day for now and I hope everyone has a pleasant evening.

It's really your glib "screw you" attitude that is most offensive Robert. Let me put it in an example that might hit home

You are walking through a reptile show and see a number of 8 X 10 glossies of animals that would be just perfect for your website. You scoop them up and leave a tenspot on the table to cover the cost of the photo paper, ink and wear and tear on the guys printer to reproduce and beat feet.

No harm no foul right?????

He isn't out anything right????

After all, he can reproduce them and you have paid for the materials right????

In all honesty, the example above is not all that different from lifting them off his website without permission. Sure, the photographer is not really out anything. However, you have just stolen something to avoid the hassle and expense of buying a camera, learning to use it, locating the animals you need and spending a lot of hours setting up and taking high quality pics.

You then are using the work of others to sell your undoubtedly wholesale quality animals without having to go to a penny of expense.


Get it??? Is it sinking in???


I also noticed that nowhere on your site does it state that the animals pictured are not animals in your possession but representative photographs. Yet another dishonest and unethical misrepresentation.

On another note, you have one of the lamest TOS I have read to date. It's a wonder anyone buys from you. Not responsible for much of anything and maybe it will get there alive and maybe not. You don't really know much about what you are selling and are the very definition of a low level jobber

You are the reason the BOI exists

 

[David Reid]

My interpretation of people like this:

Either too lazy to take their own pictures, either do not have the animal so they cannot take a picture of it, too poor to buy a camera, too lazy to buy a camera, to cheap to buy a camera, a flipper that goes through so many animals that they would not know a Burm from a House snake....none scream buy from me.

Buy from a Breeder

 

[urbanjungles]

While you're at it, you can also remove this picture of an Amazon Tree Boa which is also mine, the one you are using for "Colombian Rainbow Boa"

http://www.reptilesncritters.com/colombian-rainbow-babies-2.html

I'd be embarrassed as a businessman if I were you. But running a flipping project out of your apartment isn't much of a business I bet.

 

[mattmc]

I agree the issue of stealing photos is a huge problem. The equally disturbing problem is I can't find anywhere on his site where it states that the photos are not the animals those ordering will receive. If I ordered one thing and got another I would be pissed!

 

[Amelanistic Orca]

The endings are always the best!! A great last few scenes!! Rofl..