Jafo

Join Date 03/2001

+1845

Customize.Ru - time to complain/act

Hosting 'our' skins without consent is a Copyright issue

External Link

Skinners.....pop on over to....

http://www.best-skins.net/themes_windowblinds.html

There you will find all manner of Windowblinds skins [just for starters - other skinnables are there, too].

It's not a 100% guarantee that ALL are there without consent...but highly likely at least MOST are.

The authors whose works are ripped [distributed without author's consent] include....[in no particular order, just going through the list] ->

Adni18

treetog

Mike Bryant

Tom and Dee

Martinsh

Daniel

Apocalypse_67

Cliff

'Unknown' <--- [yeah, good one]

Danillook [sp] Spell checker

Mike Bryant [again]

Velvet_skin

JJ.Ying

Ian Black

Shawn Taylor

Martnish

Javier

The Skins Factory

Michael Branot [typo]

JJ.Ying [again]

.....and that's the first 4 pages....[there are 12]

To 'convince' Customize.Ru to remove any/all that have no consent to be there....or to convince the site's ISP to 'have something done about them and/or the site itself a wee bit of action/effort is needed.

Any author/skinner who has an issue with any of his/her works being on that site unlawfully needs to post here a link to each work that needs removal....

And...

To email the site ISP with a request and include the link needing to be removed.

The Email addy is.... abuse@hostforweb.com [It's an US ISP]

If you post the links-of-issue here I'll also be emailing requests.

Each link will require an individual email. I expect the resulting 'flood' will prompt some form of action....

Koop [Larry Kuperman] is Stardock's man-on-the-job in matters such as Warez/Property issues pertaining to Stardock.com, however this problem with the skins impacts directly on the skin authors themselves and hence is best handled by their direct IP owner. [Copyright holder].

Now, as with any issue pertaining to property rights management, by far the BEST course of action is to specifically be POLITE and cool-headed with any communications/requests.

So,

We ask only two things of you all here.....

1. Please don't flood this thread with comments of 'those bastards', etc., just leave it clear for the matter at hand, namely the reclaimation of OUR ownership/control of OUR property.....by the listing of names and links of people affected.

and

2. Keep all communications civil. {I have dealt professionally with various 'Authorities' for over 30 years.... Councils, Planners, Administrative Appeals Tribunals, all sorts of 'fun' Archie things.....and know for a fact that IRATE gets you nowhere....real fast. [my fave letter closure is "I await your favourable reply"]....

This is all something the 'older' skinners will have already experienced from time to time.

Of course, if ANY of these skins are actually there WITH author's consent.....PLEASE, make note of that here too....

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Fairyy~

Join Date 02/2004

+49

Isnt that the same site that has a forum set up to look like Stardock ?
I think this is the same site that had taken cursors and other skins awhile ago
( including the previews from WC and put there www.customize.ru on them )

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Fairyy~

Join Date 02/2004

+49

Never mind, I just re-read your post. I See the part about the crack versions of software now..this is the same site..I see you just want the skinners to report them for their piracy ..

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Quentin94

Join Date 08/2006

+119

In "DX gallery" " My Vision of a Vista " is there without my consent

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vStyler

Join Date 11/2004

+919

Done.

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PixelPirate

Join Date 07/2003

+17

http://www.best-skins.net/themes_windowblinds11.html
There's my Encoded theme without consent.

[link removed....got it, Jafo].

[link removed....got it, Jafo].

http://www.best-skins.net/boot_screens5.html
There's my Gloss bootskin without consent.

I'll be sending some emails then.

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danioc

Join Date 07/2001

+121

http://www.best-skins.net/themes_windowblinds2.html
Contains the skin Flooter without my permission.

[link removed....I got it - Jafo]

e-mailing...

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Jafo

Join Date 03/2001

+1845

Guys....PM me with the links to Premium content.....probably a wiser method....

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vStyler

Join Date 11/2004

+919

Not hard to find their splattered all over. This really should bring Premium content copyright protection into the discussion somewhow. I know it's probably difficult to do but some protection would be better than nothing.

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Z71

Join Date 08/2001

+76

I brought this to the attention of Zoomba, months ago. Brad posted a letter, on the forums, suggesting the removal of all Stardock skins.
I found this site by (looking) for my skins, on the net.
I emailed them months ago, to take my skins down, with no resolution.
I guess it's time to send another.

There was a reason, I didn't create a thread on this issue, because I didn't want any undo attention, brought to the site. There will be a lot of people that will go there now, to download premium skins for free, before they take them down. We know that goes without saying.
My skins must be really bad, because I didn't even make the list. I don't know if that's a good thing or bad.

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Jafo

Join Date 03/2001

+1845

I brought this to the attention of Zoomba, months ago.

Yes....it's been known for a long time.

This is now the skinners' foray into the issue....

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treetog

Join Date 03/2001

+29

http://www.best-skins.net/themes_windowblinds.htmlContain

the skin Thunder Storm without my permission.

http://www.best-skins.net/themes_windowblinds7.html

Contain the suite Abracadabra without my permission.

Thanks, Paul

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Z71

Join Date 08/2001

+76

BlindSpot
http://www.customize.ru/themes_windowblinds2.html
http://www.best-skins.net/themes_windowblinds2.html

Dynyx
http://www.customize.ru/themes_windowblinds9.html
http://www.best-skins.net/themes_windowblinds9.html

Candy Coated,
BluNite,
G.U.I.Magic
http://www.customize.ru/themes_windowblinds10.html
http://www.best-skins.net/themes_windowblinds10.html

All without my permission. Thanks for the help.

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To be (smart) they should have had a real LINK to this site, then free advertising would have been a like Jay Leno and the tonight show bringing on rosie from the view, Its not like you can't find skins on the internet but to steal them is just crazy without sending them here for more and asking you guys. I can see how others might start a site and think it's ok to steal the stuff, everyone pirates movies so that I have seen stuff in the theaters way before it makes it to dvd. And music, ok folks we wouldn't steal any of this either would we? This is what the internet is all about and wallpapers were something you would search for years ago and get the same ones on site after site. I know you folks will get your stuff back and get what you deserve but understand that the internet is one big (get what I want for free) for anyone willing to look for it, take it, and post it. Once I took some wallpapers and put it on one of my websites and didn't let anyone know where I got the pictures, but it was for my friends to download some pretty wallpapers. I did remove them when I thought about just telling my friends to go, and telling them I was paying for the site. I have several that now have joined wincustomize due to this. I think most of us got a good headstart stealing someones stuff and learning. It's wrong, yes, but this is an international concern as well. Good luck to all and go out into the world and find all your stuff and make sure you know if it's not copyrighted you really can't say much. It's the Law and all....sorry. Love you guys really....mschleisner

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Philly0381

Join Date 11/2004

+844

Okay, I've read your folks posts, went to the link, just the home page. Not cool at all.

What can the non-skinner do in this case to help support the authors and skinners here at WC? What's happening is just not right and needs to be corrected. Too much time and effort goes into what you folks do and I for one don't want to see your collective talents misused in this way.

I'm really getting a little hot under the collar about this, please keep us informed.

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Can I post their host server info here?

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Jafo

Join Date 03/2001

+1845

Good luck to all and go out into the world and find all your stuff and make sure you know if it's not copyrighted you really can't say much.

mschleisner ....just so you know all artwork has inherent copyright. You do NOT need to register the work. Lawyers always say it is better to do so because it makes THEIR life easier, no other reason.

Provided you can demonstrate authorship that's all that is needed....

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J. Aroche

Join Date 03/2005

+45

Javier

Is that me? because I don't have any wbs hehe

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unclerob

Join Date 08/2006

+40

Hi Jafo, here is a link to my Captain America wb skin that is on their site without my consent

http://www.best-skins.net/themes_windowblinds12.html

thanks for your help on this!

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Radio Active Orange
http://www.best-skins.net/themes_windowblinds.html
http://customize.ru/themes_windowblinds.html

Posted without my permission. Emailing.

Thanks Paul.

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"Copying of materials is allowed
ONLY with the link to Best-Skins.net "

RIIIGHHT... Idiots. :[

OMFG LETS HAX!!

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....These guys are located in Russia I think...... I don't mean to be a buzz kill here but you've got no jurisdiction or leverage to have them take that stuff down...

They're just gonna look at you, spit in your face and laugh no doubt.

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vStyler

Join Date 11/2004

+919

As stated before, they are on an american ISP, don't give up so easily.

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Jafo

Join Date 03/2001

+1845

Astyanax0 ...yes, it's an US ISP so they ain't 'Niko - Above the Law'.

Actually, being in Russia hasn't stopped me in the past....but Babelfish made me laugh till I cried....

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Nimbin

Join Date 01/2006

+118

this cannot be allowed to continue, all of you artists here spents many hours making these wonderful themes etc. something must be able to be done to stop this blatant breach of copyright. i personally will be sending emails to everyone in my address book asking them to boycott that site, and then asking those friends so send emails to their friends asking the same thing and so on. i know my contribution is only small and i have not actually created anything for WC, but i feel as a part of this community i should do my bit.

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LightStar

Join Date 12/2002

+1605

Well, I for one find this whole matter ridiculous. Why would a site such as WC, a highly respectable site, post a link to a WAREZ site for all to see so that the entire world could go and download all the illegal themes that are there? Would it not have been better to notify each individual separately and work the issue in a more 'quiet' manner? This situation should have been handled in a completely different manner, and if you had any sense you would completely removed this post before more damage is done. As for the WAREZ sites themselves, I am afraid you will never get them off-line, the copyright laws and morals in their countries are non-existent in cases like this, and they could care less about anyone's 'intellectual rights' in that regard.

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