Why do people rip off the vids of others?

devilmaykickass · Post by **devilmaykickass** » Fri May 13, 2005 3:24 am

I remember when I first saw that "EXCALIBUR" Final Fantasy video by Sam Farah I was like "ZOMG AWESOME!" and I remember sitting there wondering how he "put his name on the video like that!?!?!?" so I could possibly take it off and trick my friend into thinking I made it. This was before I even knew what an AMV was.

Of course, I never did it, and even if I would have, I would of never had the nerve to distribute it as my own, or even think about doing so. It was just going to be to trick my friend into thinking such because at the time we'd both just gotten computers and strived to impress each other with 1337 skills.

But yeah, that was years ago when I didn't even know what an mp3 was, and how anyone could have the nerve to distribute someone else's vid under there name just baffles me. o_O

JCD · Post by **JCD** » Fri May 13, 2005 11:27 am

narcted wrote:I wonder when we'll start seeing people trying to enter other people's vids into AMV contests at conventions. We should all agree that if this ever happens we will say nothing until the awards ceremony where we can rush the stage and beat the loser to a bloody pulp as an example to others.

It happened once AFAIK, there was some guy who tried to enter one of aluminumstudios videos to a Brazilian Con. He got caught, kicked off and banned from the con though

And besides people who just want to impress, I could think of newbies who don't read the rules when they upload a video and think they could enter & upload any video they like for distribution.

Mr Pilkington · Post by **Mr Pilkington** » Fri May 13, 2005 11:56 am

bum wrote:Nothing sais YOUR VIDEO ROCKS like someone stealing it.

Wow, that is the entire premise behind the annual King of Spayn contest!
How else do you assert your dominance upon the AMV community? Rip people off in the most shamelessly belligerent manor possible!
Why?

Because I hate you all!

HeavyMetal · Post by **HeavyMetal** » Fri May 13, 2005 11:31 pm

Well trythil I was not being condescending. I was asking a serious question and giving serious conjecture in return.

If I wanted to be condescending it would be much thicker (I could have said something now, but I shall be nice). I don't know the history of every popular vid either. I like metal, that isn't exactly the top seller in music stores so popular is not that relevant in my life.

Plus I was editing and watching long before I came to the org. The org was a number of years old before I even cared to join (So many good sites got sucked into it so I said okay). As for 'Right Now', dokidoki is a great editor, but I like the first Van Halen albums better. Nothing against Hagar, but Right Now bores the hell out of me.

By the way, you can share files directly to your friends with email and other programs.

However, I will give you that I am a cynic.

JCD Good points, but I don't think even a newb is stupid enough to rip something off and think it okay. Its not a matter of editing knowledge, but a sense of respect for others in that case. They should know better as well.

I think my conclusion is that it is not a matter of rational thought, but stupidity and desire to fit in that motivates these people. Thank you for you help in this quest for knowledge. Any thoughts?

downwithpants · Post by **downwithpants** » Fri May 13, 2005 11:52 pm

1. the editor might not have anime source, so they use other amvs, which provide unsubbed footage and sometimes cleaner footage than fansubs. usually the editor will make some edits, but large sections of the amv sources may still be recognizable.

2. the editor might want to submit a video that has not been entered into the org. but because the proxy system is dead, there is no other way to enter it other than through her own account.

IMO, using someone else's amv as source without permission and citation is as ethically wrong as using anime or music you don't produce yourself as source without permission and citation.

madbunny · Post by **madbunny** » Sat May 14, 2005 12:15 am

Hmm... I'll start by pointing out that I've never actually asked any of these guys that have stolen entire videos why they did it. Has anybody here actually tried, and gotten a reasonable answer?

It might be interesting to see why they thought it was a good idea at the time, to go to all the trouble to download, strip the bumpers off of, and upload someone elses video. Maybe it's like when you buy grapes in the supermarket, and you taste a couple. Technically it's stealing, but lots of us do it. Probably not though.

I *HAVE* cought some of my guys using downloaded footage stolen from other peoples videos, mostly since the guys that do it are trying to steal an effect or something, but also sometimes because they wanted some exact scene and couldn't remember what episode or whatever it came on. Typically, I make them strip it out and learn the effect (thus solving two problems), but at least I can see how they could logically get to that point.

I can't see the logic in stealing an entire video. I mean, it's not like say... a forgery where you get something for it. Lets say that you DO steal a few videos and show all your friends... they go "wow that was a awesome video, how did you make it?" what then?

narcted · Post by **narcted** » Sat May 14, 2005 12:54 am

madbunny wrote:Hmm... I'll start by pointing out that I've never actually asked any of these guys that have stolen entire videos why they did it. Has anybody here actually tried, and gotten a reasonable answer?

Yeah, AD once got a 'reasonable' answer back from a plagiarist a couple monthes back, remember? Full Fledged Plagiarism

HeavyMetal · Post by **HeavyMetal** » Sat May 14, 2005 1:09 am

Downwithpants raises good points.

The proxy is dead, but I think people that do that would give credit to those that make the video. I wouldn't mind people helping their friends in that way even if perhaps they should not.

It would have to be a really slow video to take a recognizable scene from it. Few videos seem to use extended scenes without a load of effects that may not time out well in another video. Overly lengthy scenes usually tend to be in low quality edits that miss most of the beats.

I mean I make it a rule not to let a scene exceed more than a few seconds if even that. Such lengthy scenes would have a lot of effects as well.

I think these people are showing ID to rob a bank.

JaddziaDax · Post by **JaddziaDax** » Sat May 14, 2005 1:23 am

downwithpants wrote:1. the editor might not have anime source, so they use other amvs, which provide unsubbed footage and sometimes cleaner footage than fansubs. usually the editor will make some edits, but large sections of the amv sources may still be recognizable.

I have caught someone using my clips for this reason... but when I catch a theif of my own stuff I usually leave an op and let them know... lol but that person didnt take any of my edits.

the only other person I ever caught was stealing edits and effects also got an opinion, they also dont have any more vids, cause they were ripping off lots of people....

the theivery of entire amvs though is beyond me unless they are looking for the attention that the original editorer got... but i donno....

Amv_Nekoroms · Post by **Amv_Nekoroms** » Sat May 21, 2005 6:48 am

Atleast i will make ripping more difficult by adding my name in the video intro... and yes it is sad that those kind of people exist that want to rip others amvs.