I'm being ripped off!!
 

Edit 9-19-06

All of the sites that I have found using the artwork have removed them except:

(URL Removed - Owner Complied)
(URL Removed - Owner Complied)
(URL Removed - Owner Complied)
(URL Removed - Owner Complied)
(URL Removed - Owner Complied)
(URL Removed - Owner Complied)

and

http://www.ebonyluvx.com/EBLX3/awards.php (contacted and refused....)

When I right click I see the images hosted on the same domain as the site you linked.

When those situations arise a fun thing to do is create new copies for your self under different names. Then once you have your script updated. Replace the old images with gigantic ugly images or large images with a message and give them the old images names.

And more!!

[site removed]

Crap heads.

Those bastards, let's nail 'em.

Do they look familiar?

http://www.trackpads.com/forum/awards.php

Very familiar. But I don't see any hotlinking.

Send them a nasty email. That's about all you can do.

Oh no, I have a lawyer, ever since something close happened last year.

Well, good luck with that then. Keep us up to date on the proceedings.

Thanks! Btw your livefeedback system is great!

Trackpads !!!!!!

Dang man, that sucks. :(

Good to see your alive and kicken Sir.

Thanks! I see they finally gave you the 'Master' title!! Congrats!!

And another, no shame for some:

(URL Removed - Owner Complied)

This gets better, one guy just emailed me back and said someone sold them to him for $10. i asked him for the name and email and username here.

This vb user owns this site: mholtum

Im just wondering if you created that awards system or whatever it is, and in the templates edits left hard coded links to your images?

Hey trackpads,

Since you are running Apache, just use a simple .htaccess file to put a stop to them hot linking to your images.

Stop Hotlinking and Bandwidth Theft Using .htaccess

And to keep them from being copied off your site, you can either use javascript or better yet, encase the images in a Flash file.

I prefer encasing them in Flash over javascript, but even enclosed in Flash or protected with java script...a simple screen capture will defeat both.

But yeah, the .htaccess file will stop them from hotlinking. :)

Do that, but replace it with an undesirable image ;)

Update. Well I got the hotlinking taken care of (thanks for that tutorial!) but now to get them to stop using my images. The admin from one board actually responded like this

So I guess as long as they are stolen on other sites my copyright is null and void. I guess I will have to let the movie industry know so they can stop suing everyone!!

Please...

What were the default images supplied with the awards hack?

I remember the time when someone was hotlinking forum status icons and other images i did exactly what you mentioned and each forum icon was 1024x768 of my desktop. lol Chucked in several animated images which would have killed their eyes.

There were three and none of mine were in there.

Replace the images on your server with other ones... of Kelly Osbourne, leave the same names... and the hotlinked ones will disappear very soon. :D

Thanks! I got the hotlinking fixed now I just need to get the sites remaing to stop using my artwork.

Hey Jason, how are you going to proceed in this matter? Is your lawyer going to sue the site owners?

BTw, did you copyright those images? This is very important.

I know Mike (mhoultom) of ravensrealm.com is a very upstanding guy and wouldn't intentionally rip anyone off. I'm sure he will respond positively to your request. Hope things work out for you in protecting your interests!

just answering your original question...

RULE 3.1 applies to vbulletin property or code/files submitted by a member as OWN when it belongs to another.

It does not take into account actions done by a member outside of vbulletin.org.

I would think this but since I was listed as an example site on the actual hack this is how it happened. Not that they accidently surfed my site and then copied the rank images. One of the infringers stated that a vb.org member sold him the images in a package, hence the medium was through vb.org. I have also posted the question to the vb.com piracy staff and got an initial reply already.

Copyright is automatic when you create something, it doesnt need anything else to be done to guarantee it. The site name and the rest of it is also Trademarked with an official mark from the USPTO however.

Source: http://library.findlaw.com/1999/Jan/1/241476.html

He emailed me back but they are still up there as of the time of this writing. He told me somone on vb.org sold them to him for $10 so I am holping he has the name. I have no reason to doubt anyone yet.

well, it's kinda hard for a small image like that, but you to put "transparent copyright" over the pictures where you can, it might limit some.

sorry for the trouble :), we should have state the copyright from begining.

Trackpads, Yes I did purchase what appears to by your images. And for that I am sorry, They will be removed. Again, I had no idea that they were yours.

Please give me to the end of the day.

-gone


Posting this in my shoutbox - before we had the time to discuss this issue is pretty ++++ed up
I did remove these images and the awards mod from my site at your request. Without asking you to "prove" in any way, shape or form that you actually are the creator of these images. I did not "steal" anything.

mholtum, an emotional response is to be expected; as a professional photographer who takes pictures of nude women, I often have to deal with people ripping off my work and even now finding someone using my work (or claiming it as their own) provokes anger.

Not your fault but not only were the images copied on some of the sites but the entire award text that was written for the awards! Copyright doesnt have to be stated on every single image but like all sites I have it on every single page in the footer. I credit others when I have recieved their permission and never, ever remove a hack authors or anyones cp unless I have paid for it.

Again many thanks.

Probably, but trading off my atwork was unprofessional as well. You spend 5 or 6 hours slaving over photoshop for something special on your site and I doubt you will enjoy it when it is ripped off.

Thanks again for taking them down,

-Jason

Yes but when someone is threatening action with a lawyer here and then accusing me of stealing, which I didnt do, that is what is called slander.

I am not the one that did that. I too am a victim here.. Would you consider allowing me to use these images? I would of course give you credit and a link in my footer.

Regardless of what you though you were doing you are now the owner of a business, as such you ahve legal responsibility over your site and what you do with it. So in effect, yes you were.

Now you have been very honorable and forthright and I appreciate it. However. like I said, name the person one vb.org that sold them to you and I will take it from there. I understand how you must feel about it.

I am Chris Leckness, Owner of Aximsite and Mobility Site. These images are being used on these sites as well.

This morning I received an email from Jason Edwards claiming I had his images working on my site. I have no reason to doubt the claim. I shot off an email to one of my helper that implemented this and have not heard back. I got a second email this afternoon saying that he has tried two times to contact me and no reply. I replied and stated that I was waiting on confirmation from my guy. I then found that he posted a thead on my site calling attention to this matter. I have to agree with mholtum, that was uncalled for. In a matter like this, give time. Not all webmasters/site owners can reply within 12 hours.

The images will be removed shortly since it is apparent that most of those images are his work. I don't even use this hack on Mobility Site anymore, but I think they are using it at Aximsite still. With that said, here is a call out for someone. Do you want to make $150? Contact me via mobilitysite.com contact for (not PMs here please) and let me know if you want to make replacement images for this hack for $150.

If anyone wants to discuss this with me in the future, send me an email or private message where these type matters belong. (until it becomes apparent that private discussion is not going to work)

LOL over images? Its not like its a prize piece If I had a lawyer call me or try to threaten me over images I would laugh. This is crazy to even care about rank images. Yeah I could see getting mad about hotlinking but not award or rank images.

I am looking to see if I still have the records as to who it was. Like I said in my email to you if I still have it, I will of course forward all corespondance to you.

Thanks, again I appreciate your honesty.

-Jason

Chris,

Like I said in the email. It takes a second to reply with 'looking into in' like a few other sites did. I sure got a fast response once I posted that topic eh? What, am I supposed to assume you got the message and are looking into it? Some kind of esp maybe?

-Jason

Once you spend a few years building a brand you let me know how just a 'few' images and text mean something.

Not a problem.


Give me till the end of the week and if I havent gotten back to you, please contact me.

Half of them military images you can google for.. Nothing was ever said about text. But to take it that far and post stuff on there forums then I would have never taken it down just for being pure ignorant.

What I'm not clear on is the hotlinking issue; how can you not know you are using someone elses artwork if you are linking to them off your server?

No its not, especially if they will not return a contact message.

As for them being military images you can google good luck. The stripes in the ribbons are about the closest to military ribbons you will get.

Why are in this? Are you ripping folks off too and trying to rationalize it? I notice you dont have your site listed in your profile...

Good point. On most of them (except mholtums) they even used the order and titles and even description text. Its obvious that they followed the example links and copied freely.

Do I need to have my site listed to meet your standards NOPE? Nah I have a server where I have all my own images I just think its a joke to go that far as to try and threaten with a lawyer. I dont think the hotlinking is a joke and would be upset about that but over them images?

Well, welcome to the internet noobie. After about the first $15,000 youspend you will take most of it more seriously.