Image Use Policy

Using Club Tokyo Images on eBay

We have had a rash of people using our images on eBay without our permission. This is something we are very much against in both principal and practice for a number of reasons.

If you're wanting to use our images on eBay (or any other auction site for that matter), first and foremost you should know that you are doing potential bidders a disservice by not showing them the very same toy or collectible you are auctioning, but instead merely the same type of toy. How is the bidder to know about any defects or differences. For this reason you are rendering your auctions suspect to fraud from the beginning.

Secondly, you've apparently not read our disclaimer. in short, all images on this site are copyrighted. None are generic images from elsewhere on the web and are from actual pieces in personal collections. All images are © Club Tokyo and the owner of the image and/or item pictured. The only exception to this rule is when we have been granted permission to use outside images, such as several originating from, and ©, Club Daikaiju. Many people fail to realize that just because we make these images and descriptions freely available for personal use that they are public domain. They are not, and our rights will be enforced on this issue as best we can, especially when it involves the possible misleading of fellow collectors and the making of money off of our efforts.

Thirdly, this is expressly against eBay Policy. It's a quick read, but I'll quote the pertinent parts:

Contrary to popular belief, the fact that material is posted on the world wide web does not mean it is in the "public domain" or otherwise free to be taken, copied or used by others. Creators of web content probably have copyright, trademark and other rights in the material they create. Copying, modifying and possibly linking to content created by others could expose you to legal liability.

No Unauthorized Linking to Photos! You cannot link to somebody else's picture (so it appears in your auction) without the owner's permission.

Pretty straightforward, yes? In any case, anyone violating the above policy by using our images or descriptions verbatum without permission will be reported to eBay in short order.

So You Still Want to Use Club Tokyo Images?

Well, fine. That's why we have a policy. But please consider the eBay guidelines above if you are using the images for an auction. Someone else could easily turn you in. In any case, here's the Image Use Policy.

For Auctions

There are several things that must be done to use our images in an auction. Failure to comply to each and every one of these will result in us contacting eBay. None of these "rules" are hard or take much time; all do involve common courtesy.

E-mail myself or Mike and ask permission. we will hold onto your e-mail until the end of your auction so there are no miscommunications.
Link to the site in your auction. Specifically, like this : <a href="http://www.clubtokyo.org">Image courtesy of Club Tokyo</a>. Or something to that effect.
Do NOT link to the images on our server. Instead copy the images to your hard drive and use one of the many free image hosting services available for just this sort of purpose.
Please include a disclaimer in your auction stating that the image you're using is merely representational and not the actual toy being auctioned. Also that Club T is not involved with the auction itself in any way.
If using our descriptions, please cite your source, either by stating it's from Club T or just put in a link.

It's that simple.

For Your Web Site

Similar guidelines apply. Again, remember common courtesy.

E-mail myself or Mike and ask permission.
Notify us when the images are on your site. We'd like to check it out, and you'd like the hits, right?.
Link to Club Tokyo. Specifically, like this : <a href="http://www.clubtokyo.org/">Images courtesy of Club Tokyo</a>. Or something to that effect.
Do NOT link to the images on our server.
If using our descriptions, please cite your source, either by stating it's from Club T or just put in a link.

For Personal, Non-public Use

Have fun. That's what the site's for. Print them out, download them, put them in 3-ring binders, I don't care. As long as the site's useful and being used for reference then the sky's your limit. After all, that's why the site was started back in '98 in the first place. Be creative and heck, let me know what you come up with.

That said, I hope I don't come across here as some sort of jerk. This is, unfortunately, necessary as I have seen so many misuses of our images in the past. Imagine thinking that you're bidding on a '91 Bandai Mecha-King Ghidorah and getting a Toho Kaiju 2 version. It's happened and that's primarily what I'm out to stop. So, happy collecting and let's be nice to one another.