Thursday, November 5, 2015

Changes to Lissie & Lilly Due to Thievery by LADL Blog

Recently, L&L has been the target of image thievery by the Living a Doll's Life blog, as well as others on Instagram, YouTube, and other social media outlets. Due to a particularly nasty exchange with the LADL blog, there will be a few changes going forward to help reduce incidences like this from occurring in the future.

1) ALL images will be watermarked now, in awkward, difficult to crop out locations. 
-Previously, I refrained from watermarking any image I did not personally take (leaked photos on eBay/TaoBao, images sent to me by others, etc.) because it did not feel right to me to slap my watermark onto something I am not personally responsible for. Now, I will be editing each eBay/TaoBao photo I post so that I can watermark the changes I made to the original image, and asking people who send me photos for permission to watermark the images they send me with "Used with permission by http://lissieandlily.blogspot.com". I have already gone through and edited all the leak photos from the 1960s BeForever character, the Girl of the Year 2016 Lea Clark, and the 30th Anniversary Special Edition Mini Dolls.

2) Original links will no longer be included in leak/rumor posts.
-Because I believe in giving credit when possible and being transparent with where I receive my information, I have always included the original link back to an auction or sales page on eBay/TaoBao with any leak/rumor post I upload. From this point on, I will no longer do so. I will still keep a list of links where the original leak is from, and I will be happy to share these with those who would like to message me through Lissie & Lilly's Facebook page. However I am no longer willing to make it easy for people who copy paste information others worked hard to find and share, especially without crediting back or citing their source.

***Update 11/14/2015***
For the past week, I've been reflecting and thinking back on these events. A big thing that has been bothering me is my decision to mark ebay/TaoBao images and stop posting the original auction links. I made that decision in the heat of my anger and it was wrong of me to do so. I do not own those images, the original seller does, and if I start marking images that don’t belong to me and not linking back to the original source, I will be behaving just as the LADL blogger did. After thinking on this matter, I have decided that going forward, I will continue to post the leak photos from eBay/TaoBao unmarked, and provide the original link. To the best of my ability, I have also gone back through the posts I've already made and revised them where I can. I should not let another individual’s choices make me compromise the standards I have set for myself, or I will be someone who is a hypocrite and lose the trust of my readers, and my confidence in myself.

I am very sorry to L&L readers for the inconvenience and trouble. Thank you all for your kindness and understanding. I very much appreciate all the support after the recent troubling events. Lissie & Lilly runs off of the generosity of readers and fellow collectors who take the time to think of us and share news and photos with us. It is an honor to post images readers share on the blog for everyone to benefit from, and I will strive to continue to improve Lissie & Lilly in an open and transparent manner. ^_^


*Below I am including a full account of the events that led to these changes. Originally I had not planned on posting anything regarding this as I had hoped it could be quietly and peacefully resolved, and felt it was unnecessary to make a hullabaloo over a simple error. However, since the LADL blogger has taken to attacking me while being misleading in her reply to my request by hiding large portions of our interaction, I am making public the events so readers can have the full account of what transpired and judge for themselves the situation.*

Short Summary of Events: Someone alerted me that the LADL blog had posted an image one of my readers sent me to share on Lissie & Lilly. I asked the blogger to remove it and the blogger responded with a separate post implying I was being childish over an image cropped from eBay. I sent a second, more insistent message to the blogger that the image in question was not from eBay, but a personal photo taken by my reader of an outfit on her doll, and to remove the image. The blogger did remove the image then, and responded to my second message with a passive-aggressive response calling me unprofessional, nasty, ill behaved, and tacky. I responded to this with an equally strongly worded reply, calling her out on her hypocrisy, which she has hidden from the comments section, along with my first message which was civil and polite. 

**********

Full Sequence of Events:
(My notes and comments will be in red.)
Nov. 4th, morning - A reader informed me that the Living a Doll's Life blog had made a post which included an image that a fellow collector had sent me to share on Lissie & Lilly. The picture in question was of the Girl of the Year 2016 Lea Clark meet dress modeled on her Marisol doll, specifically a close up of the ego tag showing her name stitched into the dress. I visited the link and found it was true. Here is a screenshot of the post as I first saw it:
The image in question is the smaller, bottom image of the Lea Clark ego tag. It is a direct crop of the original image posted on Lissie & Lilly here and copied below for comparison: http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2015/07/girl-of-year-2016-meet-outfit-on.html
The original post clearly states the images were sent to me by fellow AG collector who took the photos of an outfit she purchased on her dolls, and at the top of the post, specifically states to not use the images without her written permission.

*The watermark was added to the image as of the evening of Nov. 4th, as a result of this incident.*
You can clearly see it is the exact same image. I knew this was originally taken from L&L because I had photoshopped the original image she sent me to adjust for lighting and color balance. Even if my reader had shared the image with others, it would not have been the photoshopped, color corrected version which was only posted here.


**********

Nov. 4, a little before noon Central Time - I was very upset by this as this was a photo sent to me by a reader specifically to be shared on L&L and that I had personally worked on to adjust lighting and coloring. As I do not visit the LADL blog and am not familiar with it's layout, I scrolled through the length of the page and did not see a "Contact" or email address, so I left the following comment on the offending post:

"Hello,

The image you posted of the Lea Clark tag is a photo one of my blog readers sent to me to post. I personally edited the original photo that was sent to me to adjust for lighting. Please remove this image as I specifically stated to not repost any of the images without written permission. You can see the original post with the photo here: http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2015/07/girl-of-year-2016-meet-outfit-on.html

Thank you."

You can decide for yourself if I was rude or unclear. For my part, I felt it was very straightforward and civil, without malice. I clearly stated in the comment this was an original photo I personally edited, as well as included a link for her to see for herself. 

The LADL blogger has her comment section set up so that every comment first has to be approved by her before she allows it to be posted, so of course my comment was not displayed immediately. As of this moment, the LADL blogger still has this first, original comment hidden on her page.

This is particularly frustrating for me because it makes it look like I immediately jumped to insistent, critical language without any due cause. Thankfully, I have heard numerous stories from others who have had their images stolen by the LADL blog in the past, and assumed something like this would happen, so I saved a copy of my response to a word document, as well as took a screenshot of the post. 


**********

Nov. 4, around 1pm Central Time - Still quite furious over the thievery and the lack of response or removal of the image, I posted on an AG forum I am a member of, AGC, explaining the situation and my irritation over it.

I freely admit that this was whiny because I wanted to vent. It was not necessary to do so, but I do not regret it, or any of the words I posted. 

You can view the thread in it's entirety here: http://w11.zetaboards.com/agcollectors/topic/11399395/1/

Here is what I posted:
"I am feeling very frustrated and wanted to vent. Someone brought it to my attention that the Living a Doll's Life blog has used a photo from my blog and when I went to look, I found it was true.

Here is the post on LADL (using DoNotLink because I am petty and don't want to give the post anymore traffic): http://www.donotlink.com/framed?804683
Here is the my original post: http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2015/07/girl-of-year-2016-meet-outfit-on.html

The image in question is the second one on her post showing the Lea Clark ego tag. It was cropped from the second photo in my post showing the meet outfit modeled on various dolls. I have heard numerous stories of LADL stealing images belonging to others without asking and crediting, but this is the first time I witnessed it happen in person. It's particularly infuriating because this was an image one of my readers sent to me to share, and I personally retouched the image to adjust for the indoor lighting. It was not an image widely available on the net through eBay or TaoBao. I have tried to comment on the post and ask for it to be removed, but the blogger has not responded yet. I generally don't feel it is right to stick my watermark on images I didn't personally take (such as images from other readers or from eBay) unless requested by the original photographer, but recently I have been rethinking this, and moving forward, I will be watermarking more images, especially if I touched the image in any way, even if it is just cropping it on Photoshop. 

I know this rant may come off sounding petty and a part of me wants to take the higher road and ignore it, but I'm not that perfect of a person. Right now I just want as many people to know as possible that this is the blogger who claims to "strive to blog with integrity and honesty" last year and who is still not only posting leaked AG images and leaked images from eBay/TaoBao, but still stealing photos from other AG collectors. I eagerly post leaks from eBay and TaoBao as well, but I never claimed I wouldn't as LADL has. I always ask for permission from the first person I saw share new info to post, and I do my best to give credit to whoever I first heard the news from (unless they ask to remain anonymous) and link back to their blog/social media, as well as include the original link the image was first found. 

It may sound juvenile to make such a fuss about one small image, but I want people who are kind enough to send me photos to share to feel safe doing so, and I don't ever want to give LADL or any one else the impression that I am perfectly fine with having things snatched from L&L and won't make a ruckus about it. Thank you for letting me rage and rant!"

Please feel free to read through all my posts in that thread in it's entirety. Since posts cannot be deleted off of AGC's forum, rest assured none of my words have been deleted in an attempt to "hide" anything. The original post itself has not been edited either. While I was very critical of the LADL blogger's actions and expressed my anger accordingly, I did not ask for others to "bash" or attack her, though I am extremely grateful for the support of those who stood up for me.

**********

Nov. 4, before 10pm Central Time - At this point, the LADL blogger still had not removed the stolen image, still was keeping my first comment hidden, and instead created a separate post (This post has now been deleted.) where she very emphatically stressed that she receives countless messages each day from people who send her things to post and that any person can crop an eBay photo. That does not make the eBay photos the property of any blogger. She then included two examples of tags she cropped. She also included a screen shot of several angry comments that she had received about her actions, at least one of which used profane language, and said the behavior [angry comments] was childish. Her original post with the stolen image was then edited with a caption above the stolen photo stating that the image was sent to her by "Alessandra Levato".

I am in disbelief at her actions by this point. It is clear she did not pay any mind to my first message or visit the link to verify my words, as her separate post makes obvious she is under the impression the anger is due to an image taken from eBay. I have absolutely no issues with other people seeing the same eBay auction/TaoBao listing as I do and posting those images, as I have no claim to those. However, I do take great affront to having personal, original, copyright material stolen and used, especially when it is an image a reader who trusted me sent me specifically for L&L. 

It is manipulative and underhanded to imply that I am getting worked up over a freely available eBay image I don't have any rights to, then to go and hide any comments that call the blogger out on her actions or attempts to clarify the truth of the matter.

In response, I left two more comments, one on her separate post about cropping photos from eBay, and one on her original post, now edited to give credit for the image to "Alessandra Levato."

Comment on Separate Cropping Photos from eBay Post:
"The photo you have used from my blog is not from eBay or TaoBao. It is a PERSONAL photo taken by my blog reader who sent it to me specifically for me to share on L&L. I have the *original* photo that my reader sent me of her own dolls wearing an outfit she purchased. You have constantly insisted you blog with integrity, so I am asking you to please respect the copyright and original content of your fellow bloggers and remove the image. The original post states that the images she sent me should not be used without written permission, and while I understand someone else may have sent the image to you and you were not aware it is an original image, not "fair game" bait from eBay and TaoBao, I hope you will have the integrity and honesty to remove the stolen image now that you have been alerted this is an original, copyright photo that does not belong to you."

The LADL blogger hid this comment right up to the moment she deleted the post. 

Comment on Original Post with Stolen Photo:
"The photo does not belong to Alessandra Lavato and has never belonged to Alessandra Lavato. The ORIGINAL photo was sent to me by my reader who only gave permission for it to be shared on Lissie & Lilly. I personally adjusted the photo to correct for lighting. I have the original photo my reader sent me in an email as proof. Even if you received the image from Alessandra Lavato, it is still originally stolen from my blog and reader, which is the original source. Please remove the photo! This is not a leaked image from eBay or TaoBao, but a personal photo. After your post on your ethics and integrity, I would hope you would respect other fellow bloggers. This is a specific image my reader and I have a copyright claim to, no matter how many times it has been shared without permission."

She allowed this comment to be visible in the comments section, while still keeping my first, civil request hidden, once again misleading readers to think that I jumped straight into chastising her. 

**********

Nov. 4, after 11pm Central Time - Finally, finally, finally! The LADL blogger removed the stolen image completely! But in it's place she left the caption that stated the image was from "Alessandra Levato" as well as a screen shot of my second comment.

I found this act to be the epitome of being passive-aggressive. The fact that the LADL blogger still had my first, polite request hidden and only posted a screen shot of the second, more emphatic comment shows this game of misleading and hiding things from readers is still ongoing.

Then, the LADL blogger responded to my second comment which she had allowed to be posted to the blog. (In order for her to respond to it, she had to allow the comment to be posted.) Here is a screenshot of her response:

Here is her response in text form for those who may have trouble getting the image loaded:
"Lilly Maiden,
This image was sent to me from ALESSANDRA LAVATO. I do not visit your blog. I haven't the time in my schedule. Clearly she's a reader, maybe contact her with your grief about your Lea Clark image and stop making false accusations. You speak about respecting other bloggers, LADL has NEVER mentioned you or your blog, however you have directed traffic to LADL over a small label image to start blog wars.

It would have been more professional and respectful of you to send an EMAIL blogger to blogger instead of choosing this form of communication. It looks petty and boring for readers when you carry on this way in the comments section.

I have removed the Lea Clark image at your request and simply because I would like to keep LADL separate from your blog completely! I have worked with many other doll bloggers because I believe we are a community, but have never come up against such nasty and ill behavior as was displayed over a 2x2 image. I would appreciate you toning down the attitude a bit for everyone's sake. I have never railed against a fellow blogger in this style. It's just so tacky.

I wish you the best on your blog.
Thank you."

Incredible! Absolutely incredible! I am floored at the gall of her response and her stance that the fault lies with me for:
1) Not telling "Alessandra Levato" to stop sharing photos (Who on earth is that? You're the blogger, you need to be responsible for what you post and verify the source of what is shared with you.)
2) Not emailing her (Where is your email? Maybe if it was easily visible on your page, I could have done so.)
3) Making false accusations (Did I lie about my image being used on LADL's post? Oh wait, it was removed at this point without full context so no one can tell. Thank goodness I took a screenshot.).

**********

Nov. 5, 1am Central Time - I finished watermarking and reposting all images at this point, and was able to draft a coherent response to her comment. Here is my full reply (which the LADL blogger has unsurprisingly hidden). It had to be broken into 2 separate comments.

Part 1 of My Response:
"Rhonda F,

I understand that you may not have realized the image did not come from eBay or TaoBao, but from my blog. However, once I alerted you that this was from one of my readers, instead of simply apologizing for what could very well be an innocent error and removing the image, you decided to make a separate post on how “childish” it is for me to protect my reader. 

Contrary to your post, a person does OWN the image in question, and your post is misleading to your readers, implying that I am making a fuss over an image that is from eBay or TaoBao when I am protecting my copyright and original content.

I do not visit your blog. I haven’t the time in my schedule. Clearly someone who does contacted me about this, otherwise I would not have known. Just as you do not know the identity of the thousands of visitors you receive each day, so too I do not know the thousands of visitors I receive. Therefore your sentence about contacting "ALESSANDRA LAVATO" directly is not a viable option. As a blogger, perhaps it is you who should be taking steps to ensure that the things people send you were not taken from other bloggers. We are fortunate enough to receive photos and news from many others, and it is our responsibility to verify the sources so we do not post false or stolen images and news.

I do speak about respecting other bloggers, and I am glad this issue has brought you traffic, even if it is through such grievous circumstances. I did not come here to start a blog war over a photo. It is you who have escalated this by making a separate, petty post that is not pertinent to this situation, when I only asked for my original, personal image to be removed. 

It would have been more professional and respectful for you to remove the image when first requested, instead of going through the work of writing a separate post just to highlight how easy it is to crop an image from eBay. As I do not visit you blog, I will point out that you do not have your email in an easy, open to find location on your page. I made an first comment, which was very civil and straightforward, which I see you removed, leaving only my second, more insistent comment instead. It comes off petty and boring for readers all around when you play these misleading games in the comments section.

Thank you for removing my reader’s photo. I would like to keep LADL separate from my blog completely! I have worked with many other doll bloggers and fans as well, because I appreciate the camaraderie, but I have never come across such disrespectful and juvenile behavior over a photo that didn’t belong to you. I would appreciate if you refrained from using images from others and lower your rude tone for everyone’s sake. I have never lashed out against another blogger, or another individual period, in this manner before but I find this behavior disgusting."

Part 2 of My Response:
"I do not know if you will allow this comment to be displayed on your blog, as you did not allow my first comment to be displayed either, but if you do, for clarity’s sake and honesty to your readers who may skim through this long exchange, here is my original, first comment, which you have not allowed to be displayed:

“Hello, 

The image you posted of the Lea Clark tag is a photo one of my blog readers sent to me to post. I personally edited the original photo that was sent to me to adjust for lighting. Please remove this image as I specifically stated to not repost any of the images without written permission. You can see the original post with the photo here: http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2015/07/girl-of-year-2016-meet-outfit-on.html

Thank you.”

They can judge for themselves if that was civil and straightforward or not. Perhaps they will understand then, why my second comment was decidedly less amicable when instead of removing the image, you made a separate post implying I was making a big fuss over an image from eBay someone had sent you, called me childish, and are now responding in the most foul manner to what was a very simple, and genial request.

I wish you the best with your blog.
Thank you.

Lilly M."

I will be the first to admit that it was unnecessary for me to mock her reply and parrot the format back to her in mine. But I have never claimed to be a benevolent boulder on a moral mountain. I am human, and when I have been stolen from, misportrayed, and then attacked by the thief all in one day, I will experience feelings of anger, frustration, and ire. Therefore, while the format of my response was petty, I stand by every word and have no regrets regarding my reply.

**********

Nov. 5, morning - As of this morning, the LADL blogger has removed the separate post she made regarding the ease of cropping eBay photos and calling me childish for being upset at her for using my stolen image in it's entirety. The original post with the stolen image has been edited as well to remove the screenshot of my comment, as well as the caption above it attributing the photo to "Alessandra Levato". The second comment I made, as well as her "tacky" reply remains up in the comments section. My first, civil and polite comment is still hidden, as well as my lengthy reply to her.

**********

Nov. 6, morning - The second comment along with the LADL blogger's response have been removed now as well. I am grateful to the LADL blogger for doing so, and I am sorry that it had to be escalated to this level before it was fully addressed.

I would like to ask people to refrain from attacking the LADL blogger over this matter, as that is not the point of this post, which is only to clarify the events that occurred. Thank you to everyone who has offered support and advice through this mess!



In conclusion:
I'm quite fed up with this immature behavior. While I am glad that the LADL blogger has removed the image, I don't understand her desire to keep the second comment and her reply visible in the comments section. If you're going to wipe all trace of your wrongdoing, then at least be thorough. By leaving just my comment with her accusatory reply without any acknowledgement in the post of the edits made and the context of the situation, it is once again intentionally misleading to readers who will only see me reacting negatively to what appears to be cropped eBay photos, especially when my response to her ranting reply is hidden. That is also one of the main reasons I have taken the time and effort to make this post, so that the entire situation can be transparent and open and people can see the complete sequence of events. I have not hidden any action on my part, and have striven to be as accurate as possible in recounting the events, including pointing out unnecessary actions on my part as well.

Update 11/6/2015: My comment and her reply have now been removed.

I want to stress that I am in no way telling anyone which blogs to visit or avoid, or to start a "blog war" as the LADL blogger termed it. However I will not stand by idly while an image a L&L reader trusted me with is stolen without so much as asking, and I will not let myself and Lissie & Lilly be slandered just because a blogger was angry due to her own lack of responsibility in following up with the source of information being sent to her. As a blogger, I feel it is my job to make sure the information and leaks I am posting are as accurate as possible and not stolen content, which is why I previously always included an original link to where I found an image as well as giving credit to the individual who took the time to think of me and share news/photos with me. I prefer to be transparent and open on L&L, and while I in no way expect everyone else to do so, I at least expect a full grown adult woman to have the maturity to apologize and remove an image when she has been alerted that it is a stolen one, without resorting to passive-aggressive, manipulative deeds.

I absolutely am making a mountain out of a molehill. There was only one image stolen (as far as I know). I do this because I do not want to give anyone the impression it is acceptable to steal from me or my readers who have been so generous with their time and talents, and then accuse me for making "false accusations" while selectively cherry picking what is visible to viewers. It takes a lot for me to get angry but when I do, I am as human as any other and will do what is necessary to protect myself and those who have supported me.

Thank you to everyone who visits Lissie & Lilly! This blog has always been something I've maintained as a hobby and creative outlet, and it is always such a joy to see how kind visitors are with their insight, advice, suggestions, and enthusiasm for our shared interest. I truly appreciate your patience with me, and forgiveness for my shortcomings. ^_^


*Note: This post will be attached to the top navigation bar for the next few weeks so people can reference it if there are questions about the changes. It may remain longer, or may come down sooner, I really don't know for now.

81 comments:

  1. I'm sorry to hear this happened to you. :-( I don't get why anyone thinks it's ok to use someone else's work without asking. Your blog is the best and I love seeing the updates!

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    1. Thank you! I'm glad to hear you enjoy the blog. ^_^

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  2. OMG I can't believe this happened! What's wrong with people? Really sorry this had to happen to you of all people... I always enjoy coming here because you have everything organized and easy to navigate.

    -Sheri

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    1. This happens all the time online, but we all hope to doesn't. :) Thank you very much for your kind words! I'm actually trying to decide how to reorganize everything, especially the News and Sale History sections so it will be easier to search through.

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  3. She has thousands of visitors she gets and is very busy, but gets testy about one image and goes back and forth with you for two days? Okay... It'd be so much easier to say she wasn't aware, apologize, and take the picture down. Strange!

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  4. Geez, no wonder why you want to mark everything! It sucks that you had to deal with this. Don’t let it get to you, your blog is my favorite! Thanks for all the work you do to keep us informed!

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    1. I'm so happy to hear you enjoy the blog and find it fun and helpful. :) Thank you for your support and understanding!

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  5. Wow..just wow. I understand that she wasn't aware at FIRST that it wasn't an eBay or TaoBao image, but once you explained it was personal she should have apologized, taken it off, and make sure to check sources next time! Her response was uncalled for, and a whole post was extremely passive aggressive! I'm so sorry this happened!

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    1. That was also my point of frustration as well. I can definitely understand and sympathize that she may not have known the image was a personal one, but once alerted, even without an apology, simply removing the image would have been just fine. :/

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    2. I agree about checking her sources. When you run any kind of informational outfit, checking your sources is part of your responsibility.

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    3. Definitely. I have been fortunate thus far that everyone who has shared information with me also included the link to the original source, and took the time to clarify what they thought was pure rumor vs. a supported guess, but even if that was not provided, it is my responsibility as the person posting the information to double check.

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  6. I totally feel your pain. Over the 2 decades I have been on the internet (websites, livejournal, ebay, ect...) I have had soo many photographs and images stolen from me that it would make your head spin. Just today ( Nov. 5) I had to contact ebay due to some jerk of a seller stealling my ebay watermarked pictures and using them to undersell me on an auction. Blech. A photograph I once took to illustraite the various genres/titles of manga that I had available to sell was also stolen. I have found it on memes (kinda funny), a kotaku article, a voice actress site, a convention site (as part of their advertisement to draw people in), and a few other places. Proper attribution and a link back would have been nice in most of those cases. Kind of annoying to have people making money off of my experience/skill, hard work, and time in the case of the international con that used it as advertising... It wasn't the first time images/photographs have been stolen from me and it probably won't be the last. Don't give that other person another thought, nor her alias/source. Continue doing what you love and don't allow others to compromise your ideals or make you feel bad, especially when they are in the wrong. :) On the bright side, it'll be harder for others to claim your photos/work now :)

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    1. That's horrible to hear! I'm sorry this has happened to you so frequently. >_< That would be so mentally tiring to constantly find your images stolen and used without permission. I hope eBay was able to help with the seller using your watermarked photo? I know in the anime/manga fanart world has a lot of trouble with this, so much more than the AG sphere, and artists have to take serious measures to protect themselves and their work.

      Thank you for sharing your experience with me, and for the great advice! It does bother me that someone's actions have led me to doing something that compromises my ideals but I am confident I will be able to find a way to protect myself while still adhering to the standards I set for myself. ^_^

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  7. Oh no! I'm so very, very sorry you had to deal with this! You've carefully built a reputation of honesty and integrity with me, and with so many other readers. So when you go to war with someone, I and other readers know that you're not doing it for petty reasons. Copyright protection, protecting your readers and those who submit photos to you..... Those are things to fight for! And we've got your back! Go Lilly! Time to boycott that other doll site!

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    1. Your words mean so much to me, thank you! I always try to be very careful with how I post and do my best to be clear about who I first heard information from, as well as linking back to the original source, and I am so glad that it has not gone unnoticed. ^_^ Thank you!

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  8. Living a Dick's Life can SUCK IT!

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    1. While those are not words I would use, I am grateful for your support! ^_^

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  9. I am so very sorry that this whole exchange happened. You were not wrong in requesting that the image be removed, and her response was inappropriate. However, this quote is a gem- "I have never claimed to be a benevolent boulder on a moral mountain" ;)

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    1. Hahaha! I was half raging, half laughing as I typed this post, just from the utter absurdness of the entire situation. I supposed sometime during, Lissie must have commandeered my keyboard and inserted that gem. :D

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  10. WOW. Lilly Maiden, I'm so sorry! :( Did LADL at least apologize?! I think she owes you an apology! The passive aggressive response she gave seemed really uncalled for, you've earned my trust as a great and honest blog that tells the whole story about anything. I don't go to LADL's blog often, but I think that it was rude of her to withold certain parts of your conversation on the post... wow. Maybe we should ask her to apologize in the very least...

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    1. I agree an apology would have been a responsible response but I did not expect it, and do not ask for it. I don't feel it is necessary as the blogger has now fully wiped all trace of the exchange. I am grateful she has removed the image, as well as her response to my comment. Thank you so much for your words and kind support! I will do my best to continue to blog in a way that maintains your trust. ^_^

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  11. Ugh. She's ridiculous. You have always been a polite, kind community member both on AGPT and in your blog. Thank you for your amusing photostories and news posts!

    Last year or so, when LADL left that "anonymous" but obviously written by Rhonda comment I felt irritated, but now I am full on ignoring her blog.

    She made a big deal over not posting leaked images, then turned around and started doing so. She's clearly very rude and doesn't deserve her readership.

    I'm sorry she responded to your polite request this way. I'm sure she's stalking the comments right now, might even post! Rhonda, you need to be better about dealing with your fellow collecters! I am unfollowing your blog and instagram!

    Rude people are just the worst. : (

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah, I had forgotten about that comment! :D Since it's impossible to prove anything, I'd like to give the LADL blogger and her fans the benefit of the doubt. It could very well have been a troll as well, hoping to incite a spat. I hold her accountable for her actions but won't blame her for anything I'm not 100% certain is attributed to her. :) I think there's enough on her track record as it is.

      I really appreciate and am grateful for your kind comments and support! I'm so glad to hear you enjoy the blog and find it fun and interesting! Thank you very much! ^_^

      Delete
  12. I follow Rhonda's blog so I did see the post the other day about using eBay photos, and came by your blog to see what the fuss was about but did not find the post she used the photo from. Thank you for posting such a complete and honest account of what happened! I had no idea so much was actually going on that wasn’t shown and at the time I thought you were the rude one attacking Rhonda. I am disappointed and so sorry this happened to you, and I’m happy you stood up for your reader and yourself. This will definitely make me reconsider which blogs I visit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your comment! I'm glad that this post did help to clear things up on what had taken place, and I'm sure it must have been confusing for those who saw the post to wonder what brought it on. :) I'm sure the LADL blog has lots of original, interesting content and I am in no way suggesting people boycott something they enjoy. I just wanted to make it clear why I take the stance that I do. :) Thank you!

      Delete
  13. hi i found your blog yesterday and i was thinging of making a slide show of all the gotys 2016 items so far and after reading this i wanted to ask you if i can use your pics before i made the vid also if you allow me to you the pics i will give you credit for everything

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for asking. You are free to use the eBay/TaoBao images as those belong to the original seller, not me, and I have no claim to any of them. I do ask that you please not post any of the photos my readers have sent me however, as those were sent to be shared specifically here. Thank you for your courtesy and understanding!

      Delete
    2. ok thanks so much but do you know were i can posibly find the links to the item or the name of the product that the ebay seller used?

      Delete
    3. Yes! If you will send me a message through L&L's Facebook page, I can send you the links. I'm still trying to figure out a way to both cite the link to the original auction while deterring people from simply saving images off the blog without going to the actual page themselves. Thank you for your patience!

      Delete
    4. thanks but i am currently having problems loging into facebook so is it possible we can talk over google hangouts my google plus name is iheartag10 and sorry for all the trouble i have caused u

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    5. I'm sorry but I don't use Google Hangouts. :( If you don't mind waiting a few weeks, I am in the process of deciding how I want to handle the matter of citing the eBay stores and when I have come up with a good compromise that both respects the eBay seller as well as deterring others from lifting images directly through the blog instead of going to the original eBay listing, then the links should be up. If you need to upload your video sooner, there are also numerous YouTubers, people on Instagram, and other blogs with the same images who may be able to direct you to the original auctions. I apologize for the delay and thank you for your understand and patience!

      Delete
    6. ok thanks so much for the help

      Delete
  14. Behind you all the way, girl.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I'm sorry about all this, Lilly. :(
    But now that everything's been "taken care of", so to speak, you're going to forgive Rhonda F., right?

    ~Lizzy

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    Replies
    1. I no longer feel anger (some amusement perhaps at the ridiculousness of the entire episode), and have moved on from this. I bear the LADL blogger no ill will (since anger only tires me out for no good purpose), but will continue to be cautious with what I post and how I post it.

      Delete
    2. I'm glad. :)
      This was a nasty little episode, but I wouldn't want there to be any grudges kept. :)

      ~Lizzy

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    3. No, I don't think holding grudges does any good. All I need to hold onto are the lessons I learned from this experience. :)

      Delete
  16. Good for you for maintaining your high moral stance. The internet is a place too easy to misrepresent your work, steal others' ideas and materials, and just plain lie. Thank you for being a person who will stand in the gap and shout, "THIS IS NOT OK!"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're right, the internet is definitely a place that makes using another's work all too simple. I do want to stress that I make mistakes, intentional or not, and do things that are not right. I don't view myself on any moral ground, so to speak, but I have standards that I set for myself and try to adhere to. If I do make a mistake, or do something that is wrong and inappropriate, please call me out on it so that I can make reparations and learn.

      Delete
    2. A wise reply! ;) My teenage daughter has shared your wonderful blog with me since she found it, and now i am excited to follow it on my own. Your pictures and stories are terrific!

      Delete
    3. Oh my! I don't think I can receive any higher compliment than hearing a teenage girl enjoys Lissie & Lilly's antics! ^_~ Thank you and your daughter very much!

      Delete
    4. That would be me, and I can attest that I enjoy them IMMENSELY.Some of them have had me laughing so hard that I've had to stop reading them because I'm supposed to be doing school work!!

      Delete
    5. Wow! Thank you so much! I make the photostories in between exams when I need to relieve some pressure in a creative way so it always makes me so thrilled to hear people enjoy the ramblings of my mind. :D Half the time I'm not even certain the plot makes sense! ^_^

      Delete
  17. That is so rude! I am so sorry that this happened to you, but I LOVE how you handled it. Here's to a very long blog life for Lissie and Lilly! I stand firmly behind you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for the support and good wishes! ^_^ I know this post was long, and at times petty and immature, and I appreciate your patience and encouragement despite this!

      Delete
  18. I have also had a few images stolen from LADL from my blog (poppetsandposies.blogspot.com) a few months ago. Since then, I watermark any original content I think would be generic enough to be stolen and repurposed by her or other bloggers. (Photo and image links from Ebay, Taobao, Indigo, etc. are a treasure hunt available to all bloggers, though.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm very sorry to hear you have also had images stolen by the LADL blog, and I am glad you have taken steps to mark your images (especially as you take such crisp, clear photos!). You're right, the photos from eBay/TaoBao truly belong to their respective sellers and are available for all fans to view. I will rethink how I handle those images in a way that both gives credit to the original eBay auction while still deterring people from lifting the images from L&L instead of visiting the original auction itself and using those images.

      Delete
  19. What gross behavior. She has stolen images from multiple blogs and people in the past, and even after her post last year on her so-called integrity, she has continued doing what she said she wouldn't. It's great you stood up for yourself and your reader who sent you the pic! More people need to do this so she understands she can't just steal other people's stuff.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your encouragement! I had heard she has a track record of doing this and so while I was disappointed this happened, I was not surprised. I'm glad I saved copies of all of my responses and took screenshots.

      Delete
  20. What makes me laugh even more is that in that reply to you, she goes on and on about "community" when the people who came and stood up for you are from the place that was founded because the community at large doesn't want us. The Island of Misfit Toys stood up, screamed "This is my flammenwerfer! It werfs flammen!", and stood up for one of our own.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hahaha! That mental image nearly caused me to spit out my lunch! :D I highly doubt this would have been taken care of near so neatly (as much of a smorgasbord of chaos as it was) without everyone helping me put pressure on her to remove the stolen image. ^_^ *Community!*

      Delete
  21. Ugh. I am sorry you had to deal with all this.

    Internet etiquette is important and if someone is running a blog they should be versed in it--or, at least, being willing to learn and apologize for mistakes.

    Thank you taking the time to calmly recount the events. Personally, this event has officially put me off that other blog. I never did agree with the comment approval process and now I am done.

    Stay strong L&L!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your words of support and encouragement! I also am not a fan of the comment approval process myself, and even refrain from deleting comments at all unless they are accidental double posts or spam.

      Even if someone disagrees with me or is rude, I would rather leave the comment up, because it doesn't sit well with me to hide things and if it's something I want to hide, then that means I need to reevaluate what I am doing that makes me feel ashamed enough to hide and fix that instead of hiding the criticism.

      That is just my personal policy and I do not expect other bloggers to do this, as every blogger is free to set up their comments however they see fit.

      I appreciate you taking the time to stop by and for all your kindness! Thank you Amy!

      Delete
  22. I really enjoyed your blog, but I think you have more than enough complained about this situation. There are so many more serious issues in this world you could be concentrating on than venting like a child. But I guess it is about toys and children through tantrums. You have taken it waaaay over board. Let it go now. I will no longer visit your site because of the excessive ranting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I respectfully disagree with you, since I have not complained about this situation since the date of this post, and I do feel image thievery is a serious issue. However, you are absolutely free to visit whichever blog you wish and I am glad you enjoyed the time you did spend here. I wish you the best in finding more serious issues to concentrate on than toys, as I do not foresee this blog ever changing it's focus from dolls.

      Delete
    2. "Anonymous". Hmm. How convenient. In the interest of full disclosure, I do think you're trolling. But I'm waiting for my TV show to come on, so I'll reply.

      The only way this topic can annoy you is if you keep reading it. This is the only post that talks about LADL issue, so if you're fed up with the topic, that means you're coming back over and over to this one post. How tortuous. Also, Lilly Maiden, apparently you also need to blog about the Kurdish attacking Isis and the Venezuelan presidential scandal. :-P Don't you know doll blogs need to talk about something other than dolls. I'll resend the memo. lol

      Delete
    3. Ahhhhh, on the subject of serious issues, we're currently covering the respiratory unit right now and my mind has recently been filled with the dangers of cigarettes and how they absolutely decimate the lung tissue with just one breath. We're always told smoking is bad, smoking is dangerous, but I never realized to what an extent it is. This is the only habit that is so strongly correlated with cancer and when I think of the clout tobacco companies hold over our nation's health, it's very sobering indeed.

      On a less serious note, it's finally cooler here and watermelon season is well over. :'(

      Delete
  23. Rhonda has always been such a nice lady! I am absolutely HORRIFIED I ever had anything to do with her. From now on I'll send YOU an in store report of new items. I've never sent her leaks before as I always send those to agupdatenews. I unsubscribed from LADL and won't be using her blog anymore. After finding your blog several months ago and now agupdatenews I don't even need her blog anymore. This is an absolute disgrace to the doll community, I can't believe she acted in such a way.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you very much for both your words of support, as well as for her email, which I hope I won't ever need to use in the future. I would be very grateful to share any photos you send to me (my email is lilliemaiden@gmail.com), thank you for thinking of me! ^_^ Everyone makes errors, I know I certainly do, but I think it is more important how one addresses their mistakes, and I was very disappointed with how this situation was addressed. It's a relief this is over now and *knock on wood* won't become a regular occurrence. I really appreciate your kindness and thoughtfulness!

      Delete
  24. Oh and by the way if you ever need it her blog email is snickerdoodlestreet@Yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  25. Image theft should never be ignored or condoned. There's absolutely no difference between image theft and theft of any other personal property. I am always incredulous at the cavalier reaction of cyber thieves, who intimate you should be flattered they stole your property. I'm not familiar with that blog, but it sounds like a good one to stay away from. I would imagine the blogger in question removed your photo because someone acquainted her with the law, not out of any altruistic impulse on her part.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are absolutely correct. And actually I've been thinking on my decisions and have realized that if I watermark the eBay/TaoBao seller images, and then not link back, I would be doing exactly what I am upset with the LADL blogger for doing. It was a poor decision I made in the peak of my anger, and I should not have allowed it to affect the standards I have set for myself. Going forward, I plan to continue to leave seller photos unmarked, as well as posting the original link, and I have also gone back and to the best of my ability, revised the posts I've already posted to reflect this.

      Delete
  26. To the "Anonymous" copyright spammer:
    I am in stitches from laughter right now. Apparently, since you left over 20 comments that are all basically the same on several pages over a period of 2 hours this morning, it seems Blogger automatically (and correctly) pegged your IP address as a spammer and deleted all your comments from the pages and moved it into the spam folder.

    I did not read all of your 20-something comments since they all say the same thing, accusing me of breaking laws, stealing, etc., and I am unfazed by your attempts to harass me. To be completely fair, since you are "Anonymous", I automatically assume you are the LADL blogger herself or a die hard fan of hers, and both reflect poorly on you. If your purpose was to "shame" me into removing this post, you are going about it the completely wrong way, and only assuring me this needs to remain up since this situation (which I understood to be taken care of), is not addressed for you yet. Or you could be a troll, but if that's the case, let's laugh together then.

    I have been very clear that I am operating to my own standards which I've set for myself so your bashing does nothing for me. If AG asks me to remove any of their images, I am happy to do so, but that is not your place, "Anonymous" LADL blogger/die hard fan, to say. I appreciate the effort and concern you demonstrate in trying to protect me.

    And just so people who may skim through this section have better context, this was the most frequently copied comment you made, making up half your spam, and the rest were basically variations on this with increasing anger:

    "You seem to be breaking some laws yourself reproducing copyrighted images From the AG website: Use of Materials on This Web Site Unless otherwise noted, American Girl owns or controls the copyrights and trademarks for all the photographs, illustrations, designs, icons, logos, and written material (the "Contents") appearing on the Site. The Site as a whole is also protected by copyright and trademark laws. You may download one copy of the Contents and any downloadable materials in temporary storage on your computer for PERSONAL USE ONLY. You have no rights, titles, or interest to any materials you download. You may NOT reproduce, distribute, change, display, re-create, publish, re-post, transmit, sell or otherwise use the Contents of the Site without the written permission of American Girl."

    ReplyDelete
  27. I always thought that that blog was sketchy and stupid, but now I have proof! I love your blog and am sorry you have to deal with idiot LADL. They don't ever have good posts, leaks or ideas. Suck them!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your words of support! I have heard that the LADL blog has a history of doing this, but since they are very selective about what they allow to be shown, and delete/hide things so quickly, there hasn't really been actual proof besides the first person accounts. I'm glad that I was able to take screen shots and copy/pasted the entire interaction down for anyone who needs to reference it in the future.

      Delete
  28. Imagine how much easier it would have been if LADL had just apologised. I'm so sorry about all this, it must have been frustrating for you. You are always going to be my favourite blog and you are always the blog I come to for leaks, because I know you are reliable. I wish you the best and hope this does not knock you back too much. Good Luck!
    Forever a 'LissyandLilly' fan.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are so kind to say that! Thank you for your words of support and encouragement! ^_^

      Delete
  29. I am so sorry about that! I wish that people didn't steal images. I agree about watermarking, and I will be visiting her blog way less. And her responses! She didn't even give you the contact info for what's-her-face! Seriously! Check sources people! I am not old enough that my parents will let me blog, so for now I am just a reader and fan. This is my first time here, but I know this is a blog I will bookmark.Sorry about ranting, and just wanted to introduce myself, I'm Norah, doll owner of 6 AG, 1 OG, a Lalaloopsy, 2 Disney princesses, and some random baby dolls, plus a ton of Barbies, no exaggeration, but only 2 Kens.
    Bye now!
    Norah :( about thievery

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I appreciate your kind words of support! Welcome to Lissie & Lilly! Thank you very much for taking the time to stop by and for sharing your thoughts. ^_^ It's so nice to "meet" you Norah. It sounds like you have a lovely doll family and a lot of variety in dolls as well. Please do feel free to comment on any posts you like to share your thoughts. I try my best to respond to each person, though sometimes it can take a few days. ^_^

      Delete
    2. Thank you. I am also kinda mad about the Anonymous commenter, whom we all know was Rhonda. I just unbookmarked LADL and Snickerdoodle Street.
      Norah, in a very tired of shenanigans mood(I have a 7yr old brother.)

      Delete
    3. Hahaha! Has your little brother been heckling you? :)

      Delete
  30. Aggh! 5 AG, not 6!
    Mistake Maker Norah

    ReplyDelete
  31. Hello! I just discovered this post when reading through your archives. I had before been a fan of LADL, but recently I have been less then enthused with their content. This just solidifies my decision to take them and Snickerdoodle Street off my blog list. It is awful that you had to go through this, and I hope that it never happens again. I love your blog, and, even though this is a year late, I wish you all the best in any more dealings with Rhonda.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you very much for your kind words! I really appreciate you taking the time to visit and to share your thoughts! Thankfully I haven't had any more snafus in this area and I hope it'll stay that way! :D

      Delete