Stolen Content

[Michael]

This reminds me of something Blue Speedos would do.

[Bruce Tackett]

This is bad enough, but Netflix took it to another level and digitized JP's head onto this guy's body.

[Michael]

(rofl) (rofl) (rofl)   Oh my stomach!

[Michael]

[pierinifitness]

Michael, thanks for sharing this update, I enjoyed viewing it.

I put out a client e-newsletter that includes photos in the articles I write.  In the early days, I would grab a photo from the internet as many people do.  Now, I subscribe to a service (and pay) where I'm allowed to download images and use them.  Can't be messing around with someone else's intellectual property.  I think everyone's safe on forums like here grabbing photos and using them but it shouldn't be done for a business.  Several years ago, I was contacted by an extortion company saying that I had used a photo belonging to some French newspaper.  I never used the photo but did have it in my business website photo inventory.  They told me I could settle the violation for a sum of money, can't remember how much.  I replied with a strong reply telling them I never had used the photo and accused them of breaking and entering behind the curtain of my website.  They sent a couple follow-ups and I replied to each one.  Eventually, they went away but I learned a valuable lesson.

The music I use for the videos I make are proper to use.  Sometimes you have to give credit and I always do.  Other times, there's no requirement.  

I can tell you that if the roles had been reversed, Netflix would have been going after that guy with a baseball bat.  Hard to know how it'll evolve but unless he's willing to spend money for an attorney, the offer he'll eventually get probably won't be much more than the offer he received.  No attorney is going to take this on a contingency basis unless it's a personal friend who happens to work intellectual property law.  I wish him the best.

[Michael]

I always get a kick out of his videos. It's a shame how some people feel it's ok to use something without that person's permission. Your post puts a little more knowledge of this kind of situation that I never paid a whole lot of attention to. I've had an idea of mine used by the Bag Lady in the past but not too many people like that kind of exercise to care. I wasn't the first and won't be the last.