Boy, this really burns me up

[Slugbait]

OK, so my MSN Messenger themes may not seem like l33t work to some people, but I spent a lot of time on them. And people seem to enjoy them (I don't believe I ever fell below a gig of transfer in a month over the last year...I usually exceed bandwidth allotment).

So here comes this English-language Pakistani website, they totally rip all of my Looney Tunes files, including the sample images, and host them on their website...AND THEY ARE TAKING FULL CREDIT.

Themes are complete sets for customizing your MSN messenger. A normal PakMarkaz.com theme pack includes audio files of the cartoon/movie, display pictures, backgrounds, and the main background image for the MSN messenger. So Happy downloading!

PakMarkaz website

My site

As near as I can figure, they aren't leeching off my server. But still, this is lame.

[edit] update at the bottom

 

[z0mb13]

wow you rock

 

[Aquaman]

That is some cool stuff. Don't know what you can do about the other guys......... maybe alert WB after you take yours down for a bit

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Maleficus]

Those seem pretty damn good to me.

GJ man, sucks that people are ripping off your work.

 

[Slugbait]

So I sent their webmaster the following email...

Subject:
Does Allah approve of stealing?

Body:
I just wanted to know. Your website seems to indicate that He thinks it's OK.

Good luck,
Slugbait

 

[Daishiki]

Originally posted by: Slugbait
So I sent their webmaster the following email...

Subject:
Does Allah approve of stealing?

Body:
I just wanted to know. Your website seems to indicate that He thinks it's OK.

Good luck,
Slugbait

be sure to tell us the reply

 

[Lucky]

Stealing sucks.

Not trying to be an ass, but is you using WB's images/themes/characters a copyright violation?

 

[Slugbait]

but is you using WB's images/themes/characters a copyright violation?

Hey, if you can download the same images I use in my Star Wars themes from theforce.net, is that a copyright violation? If so, how come they have been online for so many years, and Lucas hasn't shut them down? BTW, they host my Star Wars themes.

If I were making a single dime off these themes, somebody would have a right to come after my sorry ass. But nobody pays, and my website is completely devoid of any kind of advertising.

 

[chiwawa626]

Thats some awesome work good luck..

 

[gwlam12]

u should put some kind of signature (as much as we hate them) on ur work next time.

 

[Lucky]

Originally posted by: Slugbait

but is you using WB's images/themes/characters a copyright violation?

Hey, if you can download the same images I use in my Star Wars themes from theforce.net, is that a copyright violation? If so, how come they have been online for so many years, and Lucas hasn't shut them down? BTW, they host my Star Wars themes.

If I were making a single dime off these themes, somebody would have a right to come after my sorry ass. But nobody pays, and my website is completely devoid of any kind of advertising.

Hey I agree with you. You have some great skins, very good looking.

Just found it ironic that on a post bitching about stealing content without credit, the product being stolen is by it's nature stolen itself. And put up for download on your website without credit being given to the creators of those characters.

 

[Slugbait]

u should put some kind of signature (as much as we hate them) on ur work next time

Just found it ironic that on a post bitching about stealing content without credit, the product being stolen is by it's nature stolen itself. And put up for download on your website without credit being given to the creators of those characters

1) Download theme
2) Open readme
3) Read it

 

[Lucky]

Fair enough! The readme does contain extensive notes about your feelings on the copyright!

 

[Kelvrick]

Originally posted by: Lucky

Originally posted by: Slugbait

but is you using WB's images/themes/characters a copyright violation?

Hey, if you can download the same images I use in my Star Wars themes from theforce.net, is that a copyright violation? If so, how come they have been online for so many years, and Lucas hasn't shut them down? BTW, they host my Star Wars themes.

If I were making a single dime off these themes, somebody would have a right to come after my sorry ass. But nobody pays, and my website is completely devoid of any kind of advertising.

Hey I agree with you. You have some great skins, very good looking.

Just found it ironic that on a post bitching about stealing content without credit, the product being stolen is by it's nature stolen itself. And put up for download on your website without credit being given to the creators of those characters.

Hahahahaa. Yea, someone who goes to that site will think he thought of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.

Hell, maybe I can drive around blasting music in my car so people who didn't buy it can hear it and they'll think I wrote and sang it!

 

[Czar]

Originally posted by: Slugbait
So I sent their webmaster the following email...

Subject:
Does Allah approve of stealing?

Body:
I just wanted to know. Your website seems to indicate that He thinks it's OK.

Good luck,
Slugbait

you do awsome themes but this email is just really childish, a more direct and polite one would probably get a better response

 

[fs5]

wow elite w/ only 1455 posts? what was the elite for?

 

[Psycho18]

Nice skins, hope the bastard who is stealing them gets caught.

 

[Slugbait]

Finally got to my email tonight...and I got a reply:

Hi Slugbait,

Ok - I'm sorry - of course no one approves of stealing, i know its
your work and i m sorry.

If you would allow me, i am ready to give you full credit for your
content or if you dont, i would remove it from my site.

I have given one of my content creators' a good long lecture - i hope
this won't happen again.

Please tell me if you are willing to allow us or want us to remove it.

Regards
Ammar Faheem

So this is my reply back to them:

Hi Ammar,

First I would like to apologize for the tone of my original email. I was upset to see that my work was being claimed by someone else, but that doesn?t excuse my use of a religious deity to criticize anyone for doing so. This was not an acceptable reaction on my part, and I should have simply confronted you in a straight-forward, non-sarcastic manner.

With that said, I would very much appreciate that you remove the graphics and files from your website. I don?t mind if anyone, including your website, provides a description and link to the main download pages of my MSN Messenger themes. You can script your page to launch a separate window that goes to my web pages in order for your visitors to continue to see your website in another browser window. I would just like for your visitors to know from whom and where they are getting the themes, and that your website is not taking credit for the themes I created.

If you would view the readme.htm file included with each theme download, you?ll notice I make very specific conditions on the use and redistribution of the themes I created. Because your website contains advertisements, this can be considered monetary compensation for copyrighted material. My website has no advertisements and there is no solicitation for fees or any type of payment. These themes are meant to be completely ?free?, a single fan making something fun for other fans of Looney Tunes to enjoy with MSN Messenger. Otherwise, if there are ads or other types of monetary income, the copyright owners would have justification to pursue legal remedies.

Thank you for your prompt reply and remedy to this matter.

Slugbait

To be totally fair, I went to their page this afternoon while still at work, and found that the links to the downloads were all "not found". They had already made the first move to remove the files from their servers before they even heard back from me.