  Kosmo
Level 1 (55%)
Posts: 3
Contrib Points: 0
Since: 25/Nov/05
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You have to love a site which lifts summaries from Official websites. If you want to look for yourself just click on Showtime and go to the Masters of Horror section. |
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| Message Posted On Friday, November 25th 2005 At 5:10 pm |
 Blae
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On Friday, November 25th 2005 5:10 pm Kosmo Wrote:
: You have to love a site which lifts summaries from Official websites. If you want to look for yourself just click on Showtime and go to the Masters of Horror section.
1) The showtime website isn't available to anyone outside of the US
2) If the network created good summaries for their shows, what's wrong with using those?
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| Message Posted On Friday, November 25th 2005 At 5:37 pm |
Kosmo
Level 1 (55%)
Posts: 3
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Since: 25/Nov/05
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What's wrong with that....A little thing called copyright. |
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| Message Posted On Friday, November 25th 2005 At 8:08 pm |
Blae
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If you look around, you'll see that a dozen of episode guides / fansites all over the internet are using the networks' official summaries. Most of the times, those summaries are even issued as press releases.
Of course we will replace/remove the summaries if we get any complaints from the networks themselves. |
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| Message Posted On Saturday, November 26th 2005 At 3:22 am |
grailwolf
Level 1 (35%)
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Since: 14/Dec/05
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From the Showtime site:
All material on this site, including, but not limited to images, illustrations, audio clips, and video clips (collectively, the "Material") is protected by copyrights owned or controlled by Showtime Networks Inc. UNAUTHORIZED COPYING, REPRODUCTION, REPUBLISHING, UPLOADING, DOWNLOADING, POSTING, TRANSMITTING OR DUPLICATING OF ANY OF THE MATERIAL, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IS PROHIBITED. Any unauthorized use may subject the offender to civil liability and criminal prosecution under applicable federal and state law.
This is standard copyright stuff, and any original text (or images, etc.) published anywhere on the web without specific permission to copy it for use elsewhere is legally copyrighted and its use opens the offender (or the offending site) to legal action from one of several local, state, national, or international law enforcement agencies. If you want to keep hosting plagiarized material, that's your own business, but just remember that the "complaint" from Showtime may come in the form of a court summons or a citation.
Further, the Showtime site is available to anyone in the world who speaks English (actually, it's available to those who don't speak English as well, but they would not be able to use it very well). I've spoken to friends in the UK and Australia who can access the site, so if you are unable to then it probably has to do with firewalls or your ISP.
I'm not trying to be a pain here, just offering friendly advice. |
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| Message Posted On Friday, January 6th 2006 At 6:26 am |
Gadfly
(Global Editor)
Level 54 (8%)
Posts: 1196
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Since: 13/Dec/05
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| On Saturday, November 26th 2005 3:22 am, Blae wrote: | | If you look around, you'll see that a dozen of episode guides / fansites all over the internet are using the networks' official summaries. Most of the times, those summaries are even issued as press releases. |
"Everybody else does it, so we can too!"
didn't that go out of style in kindergarten...? :}
even at tv.com the site moderators dont' go around saying, yeah its okay to take stuff from other sites. Just the opposite, really. |
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| Message Posted On Friday, January 6th 2006 At 6:29 am |
 PureMaria
Level 26 (52%)
Posts: 3646
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Mood: amused
Since: 20/Nov/05
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| On Friday, January 6th 2006 6:26 am, grailwolf wrote: | From the Showtime site:
All material on this site, including, but not limited to images, illustrations, audio clips, and video clips (collectively, the "Material") is protected by copyrights owned or controlled by Showtime Networks Inc. UNAUTHORIZED COPYING, REPRODUCTION, REPUBLISHING, UPLOADING, DOWNLOADING, POSTING, TRANSMITTING OR DUPLICATING OF ANY OF THE MATERIAL, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IS PROHIBITED. Any unauthorized use may subject the offender to civil liability and criminal prosecution under applicable federal and state law.
This is standard copyright stuff, and any original text (or images, etc.) published anywhere on the web without specific permission to copy it for use elsewhere is legally copyrighted and its use opens the offender (or the offending site) to legal action from one of several local, state, national, or international law enforcement agencies. If you want to keep hosting plagiarized material, that's your own business, but just remember that the "complaint" from Showtime may come in the form of a court summons or a citation.
Further, the Showtime site is available to anyone in the world who speaks English (actually, it's available to those who don't speak English as well, but they would not be able to use it very well). I've spoken to friends in the UK and Australia who can access the site, so if you are unable to then it probably has to do with firewalls or your ISP.
I'm not trying to be a pain here, just offering friendly advice. |
Hmmm... friendly advice? Get real. Tv.com will do anything to take down the competition. ^o) I think y'all should worry about y'all site. It's complete chaos. |
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| Message Posted On Friday, January 6th 2006 At 7:21 am |
Gadfly
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| On Saturday, November 26th 2005 3:22 am, Blae wrote: | | Of course we will replace/remove the summaries if we get any complaints from the networks themselves. |
"Officer, I didn't embezzle that money and cover it up. Of course I would hvae replaced the money if I got any complaints from the bank."
"I didn't steal that painting from the museum. Of course I would have replaced it if I got any complaints from the museum."
Bedsides...showtime's copyrite statement is about the same as the one here. So...I can take stuff from tvrage and put it on my site? As long as I replace/remove it if I get any complaints, and other sites do it too, its okay? Kewl - I'll start letting everyone know the site mods here say its OK. |
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| Message Posted On Friday, January 6th 2006 At 7:42 am |
Sebrioth
(Site Moderator)
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Unlike TV.Com, tvrage does not revolve about how the most profit could be made, it is a fan based website and those summaries are only used in Promotional Ways, as said before, if a network should ever have a problem with this and contact us about such, they will be immediately removed from TVRage. And furthermore, you might wanna refresh your memory what "Press Releases" are and why networks release them. |
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| Message Posted On Friday, January 6th 2006 At 8:03 am |
grailwolf
Level 1 (35%)
Posts: 120
Contrib Points: 1.3
Since: 14/Dec/05
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| On Friday, January 6th 2006 7:21 am, PureMaria wrote: | | Hmmm... friendly advice? Get real. Tv.com will do anything to take down the competition. ^o) I think y'all should worry about y'all site. It's complete chaos. |
That's fine except for one thing.
I don't work for TV.com.
Yes, I volunteer there as a forum moderator, but I've been a member here since about the time it opened as well. If TV.com hires me and starts paying me, then I could see your concern, but otherwise it's a bit silly.
Besides, how on earth could pointing out a potential legal problem be in any way construed as an attempt to "take down the competition?" If I wanted to take the site down I'd get Showtime's lawyers on them.
And, just as an aside, I think TV.com is pretty orderly actually. Care to explain the "complete chaos" remark? I'm curious.
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| Message Posted On Friday, January 6th 2006 At 8:16 am |
Blae
(Site Moderator)
Level 41 (16%)
Posts: 1128
Contrib Points: 17130.7
Since: 26/Oct/05
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| On Friday, January 6th 2006 6:29 am, Gadfly wrote: | | even at tv.com the site moderators dont' go around saying, yeah its okay to take stuff from other sites. Just the opposite, really. |
I really don't want to start a TV.com vs. TVrage discussion, but do you honestly believe that TV.com doesn't use official summaries and material the networks provide? Think again.
| On Friday, January 6th 2006 7:42 am, Gadfly wrote: | | "Officer, I didn't embezzle that money and cover it up. Of course I would hvae replaced the money if I got any complaints from the bank." |
Heh. You make a funny point, but I think you really know that there's a big difference between a bag of money and a few lines of text.
TVrage doesn't make any profit, and we don't get any personal gain by posting networks' summaries here. Also, if they have any effect at all, it would be positive - promoting the show.
| On Friday, January 6th 2006 7:42 am, Gadfly wrote: | | If you want to keep hosting plagiarized material, that's your own business, but just remember that the "complaint" from Showtime may come in the form of a court summons or a citation. |
I know some people are overobsessed with lawsuits and legal terms, but we don't think that way. I'm quite confident that, in the rare case that anyone would have problems with what we do, they would contact us before starting to threaten with lawsuits. As said before, if there are any complaints from the networks, we will fully comply with their wishes.
| On Friday, January 6th 2006 7:42 am, Gadfly wrote: | | So...I can take stuff from tvrage and put it on my site? As long as I replace/remove it if I get any complaints, and other sites do it too, its okay? Kewl - I'll start letting everyone know the site mods here say its OK. |
If you are interested in copying some of our text (such as the one on the frontpage) to promote TVrage, please, be our guest! |
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| Message Posted On Friday, January 6th 2006 At 8:17 am |
grailwolf
Level 1 (35%)
Posts: 120
Contrib Points: 1.3
Since: 14/Dec/05
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| On Friday, January 6th 2006 8:03 am, Sebrioth wrote: | | Unlike TV.Com, tvrage does not revolve about how the most profit could be made, it is a fan based website and those summaries are only used in Promotional Ways, as said before, if a network should ever have a problem with this and contact us about such, they will be immediately removed from TVRage. And furthermore, you might wanna refresh your memory what "Press Releases" are and why networks release them. |
But we're not talking about press releases. These are summaries taken from a commercial website. It may well be that they are intended as promotional materials, but that is not stated explicitly on the Showtime site. It really would be in your best interests to either rewrite the summaries or at least contact Showtime to ask whether you can use their wording.
It might seem like common sense that you should be able to use the material to promote the show, but many networks go around shutting down fansites if they use copyrighted material, regardless of whether any money is made.
Also, take a look at the top of your site. The people who run the site may not make money, but the people who host it have ads (by Google) at the top. Thus, this is a commercial site and anything on it is being used to create cashflow for the hosting company and for Google.
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| Message Posted On Friday, January 6th 2006 At 8:21 am |
grailwolf
Level 1 (35%)
Posts: 120
Contrib Points: 1.3
Since: 14/Dec/05
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| On Friday, January 6th 2006 8:17 am, Blae wrote: |
Heh. You make a funny point, but I think you really know that there's a big difference between a bag of money and a few lines of text. |
As a writer, I have to stop you there. The network paid someone to write those few lines of text and are using it for a commercial purpose. The text, therefore, has a monetary value.
Stealing intellectual property is still theft, every bit as much as if it were that bag of money.
That said, Showtime may very well not mind you using the text, but it is not a safe assumption that they will send a friendly letter to you asking you to remove it if they do mind. I know at least one person who has been informed that they had copyrighted material on their site by receiving a hefty fine in the mail.
End result: it's safest to just send Showtime an email and ask.
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| Message Posted On Friday, January 6th 2006 At 8:27 am |
PureMaria
Level 26 (52%)
Posts: 3646
Contrib Points: 1536.4
Mood: amused
Since: 20/Nov/05
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| On Friday, January 6th 2006 8:16 am, grailwolf wrote: | And, just as an aside, I think TV.com is pretty orderly actually. Care to explain the "complete chaos" remark? I'm curious.
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Hmmm.. I don't know? How about all the bugs there. If it ain't one bug it's another. Also, how about the fact that a lot of members are quiting from there--and to add--the staff acts like they can't fix anything. And the power hungry mods(No offense to you, you just recently was made a mod). The site is also slow. I feel like I'm using dial up when I'm surfing the forums. The site is all looks. It tries so hard to impress the members with their fancy piece of crap. ^o)
Oh yeah, how about that it takes nearly 5 months to get submissions accepted, and I think it's sad that you have to PM a staff member to get one accepted. Snide quit, y'all lost a mod.(although everyone can see they kicked her to the curve) The staff can't be that busy where they can't accept submissions. The bugs can tell everyone that. Maybe it's not chaos, yet, but it's getting there.
I can probably keep going, but I choose not to. (*) |
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| Message Posted On Friday, January 6th 2006 At 8:37 am |
Blae
(Site Moderator)
Level 41 (16%)
Posts: 1128
Contrib Points: 17130.7
Since: 26/Oct/05
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| On Friday, January 6th 2006 8:27 am, grailwolf wrote: |
That said, Showtime may very well not mind you using the text, but it is not a safe assumption that they will send a friendly letter to you asking you to remove it if they do mind. I know at least one person who has been informed that they had copyrighted material on their site by receiving a hefty fine in the mail.
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You may or may not know that your TV.com is doing the exact same thing. For example, their summary for chocolate, or for fair haired child are exact copies of the Showtime versions. A few others are very slightly paraphrased versions of Showtime's summaries.
If they don't mind that a site like TV.com - which sole purpose is to make profit - uses their summaries, I very much doubt they will mind us doing so.
But, agreed, we live in a world where all this legal mumbo-jumbo is an important part of the day to day reality, so I'll take it up with Showtime as soon as I find the right email address to contact them. |
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| Message Posted On Friday, January 6th 2006 At 9:09 am |
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