# Is it wrong to not want someone reprinting our work elsewhere?



## redquestron (Jul 17, 2008)

So about a month or so ago, I stumbled upon a site called Omar's Haunted Trail at http://omarshauntedtrail.com who has basically reprinted just about every tutorial from about every Halloween website around in PDF form on his server watermarked with his webdomain on it. We contacted him because 4 of our projects with photos were thrown up there and asked him to take them down. He said he would, but still hasn't.

Am I wrong to be upset about this?


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## BioHazardCustoms (Aug 5, 2009)

Not if it is your work, and he doesn't give credit where it is due. I have used the tutorials of others as inspiration for props I have built, but i give credit where it is due.


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## SeaHoCaptain (Sep 20, 2009)

You got every right to be PO'd. It's great you guys share your stuff for everyone. But to copy it to his own site and watermark it as his own is nothing short of theft.

David


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## Giles (Sep 6, 2009)

This has become an unfortunate problem with forum boards. One board I'm on related to something besides halloween has had to set up the board so you can't copy anything unless you get permission from the owners. It was a bit of a hassle at first, but now if you need anything, it is easy to ask permission. 

You might try contacting their site host and let them know that the website they are hosting is taking articles and pictures without permission, but not sure that is going to give you any results.


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## jaege (Aug 23, 2009)

I understand it being annoying, but the stuff is posted for public viewing and use. He is just spreading the word. And I would guess that ALL of the props that are listed almost anywhere are based upon others work. Very little is original. I made an FCG and really dont know who I would credit with the original idea although I dont try to take credit for it myself. Now if he is passing this stuff (particularly the "how-tos") as his own work, that is pretty low. But what can you do?

I did e-mail thier webmaster and suggested that they give credit where credit is due. Perhaps we should all do that. It may sway them.


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## BioHazardCustoms (Aug 5, 2009)

I browsed the page this morning after I woke up a little better. Want to know what I think is the sad part about that page? It is run by the Boy Scouts.


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## redquestron (Jul 17, 2008)

My biggest issue here is that the PDF files, even though they may give credit where credit is due, are extremely outdated as our site is concerned. We've modified almost everything. There is really no linkback either, the blue text does not link back (at least using Foxit reader). I really wouldn't have minded had he asked my permission to reprint them from my server, but he just took, repackaged, edited out text he didnt feel was important, and watermarked the crap out of em. He also said he'd take them down but hasn't. I also don't like that when I google my prop names, his site is right there below mine in search engine rankings. I can understand linking back if your prop is derivitive of someone else's project. We do that quite often on our howtos. But to just take and repost someone elses content, especially without permission, is theft.

Shady.


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## jaege (Aug 23, 2009)

I looked at thier website and they are, at least now, trying to credit people. Thier own watermark is gone and they have added one that looks to credit the original source.


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## redquestron (Jul 17, 2008)

I just got an email from him today which reads in short "I've removed the link to your file but intend on keeping it up on the server, none of this content is originally yours, any further contact will be considered harassment" My .pdfs in question (4 different articles, i might add) still remain watermarked and accessible from his web server. I would also like to add, that these were indeed ALL ORIGINAL CONTENT because if I build something that is derivitive of another person's idea, I link back accordingly. He didn't build a prop, or make a derivitive, he stole content watermarked it as his own content, and is telling ME to stop bothering him about it. I've since emailed his webhost asking for the files in question to be removed from his server. 

Frustrating at best.


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## jaege (Aug 23, 2009)

Yeah, I got a nasty e-mail from him as well. He also claimed that nothing on the internet is copyrighted so he can use it as he sees fit. The guy is an @$$. Of course, as you have no legal recourse from him using your stuff, he cant really do anything about you "harrassing" him either. Who is he going to call, webbusters?


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## IMU (Apr 8, 2009)

Actually, if you wrote the original how-to, took the pictures and posted it online (on a forum or a website of your own) you don't need a copyright for it to be your property. These days, almost all things are copyrighted the moment they are written, and no copyright notice is required. Copyright is still violated whether you charged money or not, only damages are affected by that. Postings to the net are not granted to the public domain, and don't grant you any permission to do further copying except perhaps the sort of copying the poster might have expected in the ordinary flow of the net.

If you have some sort of proof (a link to the original posting on a forum or your own website), contact the offenders ISP and notify them that he has 'stolen' your work without your permission or providing proper credit to you. The ISP should remove the offending work and if not, remind them that hosting this information may bring trouble for their company if this continues.

I've been down this road when I had an online business and informing their ISP of his ignorance will work. It is sad that it continues to happen, but it is part of working on the net.

Good luck!


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## redquestron (Jul 17, 2008)

LOL "Webbusters" I guess just ONE.. More.. Email.. couldn't really hurt? Could it?  Of course, this one went to the abuse department of his webhost (1and1). Funny bits here, copyright being as they are, 2 of the photos on these pdf files actually have ME in them.

THAT could actually in this case be construed as using my image without permission. Which DOES have a legal recourse.


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## The Creepster (Sep 18, 2009)

I am just curious which 4 projects are yours that are posted?


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## redquestron (Jul 17, 2008)

My four are:

http://omarshauntedtrail.com/Props/...ting - LEDs/LED or Incandescent Compaison.pdf

and

http://omarshauntedtrail.com/Props/Prop Idea Files/Scenes/Gorilla Cage.pdf

which also contains my carnival ticket booth howto and the sign howto.


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## jaege (Aug 23, 2009)

I think he removed them. At least I can not find those.


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## redquestron (Jul 17, 2008)

Yeah, as of about 10:00 I think they were gone. We think the email to his webhost was the way to go. Glad that whole thing is over, really.. what a jerk. Some boy scout.


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## redquestron (Jul 17, 2008)

UPDATE: 
Turns out they do still exist on his server.. he just moved em around a bit.
(off to the host we go with yet another email)

They live here now:
http://omarshauntedtrail.com/Props/EuclidBoo/Gorilla Cage.pdf
and
http://omarshauntedtrail.com/Props/EuclidBoo/LED or Incandescent Compaison.pdf

the saga continues...


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## redquestron (Jul 17, 2008)

Update as of 11:00 am. The files are finally gone! (hopefully I haven't spoken too soon)

I'd hate to think after another mail to his webhost and to him personally that these "harassing" requests to remove our content have been in vain.

 for now!


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