Copyright Infringment in Design Contest!

Keep in mind we are not talking about sueing those who submitted copied stuff...

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Originally Posted by Alhanelem

It is up to SE to enforce its own rules and/or up to the copyright holder to exercise his rights. You can notify SE if you want, but this forum is not the best way to do that, as I've already pointed out multiple times. If SE decides that someones rights are being violated, I'm sure they will disqualify that entry.

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Actually I'm happy this was posted on the forums.

You know very well what SE do when players report RMTs..... almost nothing. We don't even know if the message sent to support will reach the people taking care of the contest.

At least, if it's posted on the forums and people are aware of it, they can give their vote to more original designs.

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Originally Posted by Alhanelem

A friend of mine made me a sculpture of a character from a Final Fantasy game. Technically, this is a copyright violation, because SE owns all the rights to those characters. However, it's up to SE to decide they're bothered by it and to tell me to destroy it / not make any more likenesses to their characters. A copyright holder can decide that they are not in fact bothered by someone's use of their work and allow it to pass if they so desire.

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I wanted to point out that I believe this is untrue, unless I am mistaken and my art teacher is in a whole hurt of trouble, a person may use copyrighted/trademarked property as an educational tool or for personal use as long as no profit or gains are to be made. Fanfiction, cosplay and similar art forms all fall under this category.

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You know very well what SE do when players report RMTs..... almost nothing. We don't even know if the message sent to support will reach the people taking care of the contest.

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You know very well that this isn't RMT we're talking about, and it's actually completely not true that they don't do anything about RMT reports. SE bans them, they make new accounts, rinse and repeat. It's not that they aren't doing anything, it's that it's an endless cycle.

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At least, if it's posted on the forums and people are aware of it, they can give their vote to more original designs.

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That's all well and good, but if people want to make legal complaints, they make those complaints directly to the parties involved, not just posting on a forum and going NYA NYA DONT VOTE THIS ONE HE CHEATER.

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Originally Posted by Alhanelem

I don't care how identical it is. Wether or not an infringement is taking place is not the issue here.

You need not go into any detail, regardless of your English knowledge. I arleady throughly understand the issue. You clearly don't understand what i'm trying to get at here. You seem to think I'm defending the act taking place here, but I'm not.

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If you are not defending it, what are you doing? Because you are right, i thought you are defending it.

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Originally Posted by Alhanelem

That's fine, but it's not up to you to enforce the rules of the contest. It is up to SE to enforce its own rules and/or up to the copyright holder to exercise his rights. You can notify SE if you want, but this forum is not the best way to do that, as I've already pointed out multiple times.

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Of course there is a better way as in writing an E-Mail to the Support-Center. Pointing it out, giving out Infos about it, giving out Links etc. But of course also people do it on the Forum to point it out, which is not a bad idea. Especially with all those Grass-Threads and Stuff, i dont think this Thread is actually a worse one.

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Originally Posted by Alhanelem

A friend of mine made me a sculpture of a character from a Final Fantasy game. Technically, this is a copyright violation, because SE owns all the rights to those characters. However, it's up to SE to decide they're bothered by it and to tell me to destroy it / not make any more likenesses to their characters. A copyright holder can decide that they are not in fact bothered by someone's use of their work and allow it to pass if they so desire.

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Exactly.. and a good example. So we kind of agree about the copyrights, but you would go a different way to direct it to SE?!

Do i get that right?

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Originally Posted by Rubieus

I wanted to point out that I believe this is untrue, unless I am mistaken and my art teacher is in a whole hurt of trouble, a person may use copyrighted/trademarked property as an educational tool or for personal use as long as no profit or gains are to be made. Fanfiction, cosplay and similar art forms all fall under this category.

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Actually, SE can still cease and desist people making fan art if they want to. They simply choose to allow it / ignore it. If you called up SE and asked for permission to make a model of one of their characters (or whatever else), they would say "no, we don't grant permissions to individuals." (Believe me, I've tried). However, because fan art is usually good publicity for them, they generally do not pursue action against anybody unless they are profiting off it.

However, you don't have to make money to violate a copyright. < this is very important. Copyright violations are not defined by money changing hands.

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If you are not defending it, what are you doing?

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I'm explaining the proper course of action to take. Pointing fingers on the forums is not that proper course.

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Exactly.. and a good example. So we kind of agree about the copyrights, but you would go a different way to direct it to SE?!

Do i get that right?

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Yes. specifically, to the person(s) responsible for the contest and enforcing its legalese.

There is no copyright infringement. SE is allowed to use its own design, and the second design you speak of is a common and non-copyrighted design. Just because a very similar ring exists, doesn't make it copyrighted design. Plain band rings already exist...would it have been infringement to submit a plain band? No. The design needs to belong to one particular person/company before it can be considered infringement.

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Originally Posted by Rubieus

I wanted to point out that I believe this is untrue, unless I am mistaken and my art teacher is in a whole hurt of trouble, a person may use copyrighted/trademarked property as an educational tool or for personal use as long as no profit or gains are to be made. Fanfiction, cosplay and similar art forms all fall under this category.

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Actually, this isn't always true. Copyright law is not so straightforward. Here's a video that explains some of the ins and outs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKBsTUjd910

Not good, things like that shouldn't happen :/

OH LAWD, HE'S RIGHT.

https://support.na.square-enix.com/i...v/thumb/03.jpghttps://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/im...DnahYqzHYcNaSK

https://support.na.square-enix.com/i...v/thumb/10.jpghttps://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/im...ugE3C4GDbGsI_Q

...


I kid, I kid.

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Originally Posted by bersha-sensei

Ring number 5 in the design a gear contest, is a blantant copy not only in concept but in execution, where symmetry is not entierely Identycal the general concept stands, the design ripped off the five feather points from the one winged angel ring the generall form of the ring is there as well as the center gem piece, texture and silver coating is the same as well in a contest where creativity is being rewarded i think finalist entries such as this only hurt the credibility and seriousness of it, and the worst thing is the design of SE.

http://cdn.highwire.com/374405_290.jpg

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I'm sorry to read that, but actually I got inspired by those rings and wings:
http://www.ideatattoo.com/blog/wp-co...rlazzi_112.jpg
http://ua-cdn.stylecaster.com/post/2...er-preview.jpg
http://cn1.kaboodle.com/hi/img/2/0/0...=1201239432000
http://anitako.com/assets/wings_fan_2.jpg
http://www.princeofdiamonds.org/catalog/tn_rinoa.jpg
http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/...6L._SS424_.jpg

The ring I designed before I sent in the black phoenix ring, was even a white one called salvation ring. http://b.pictureupload.us/110862460950596f81e6034.jpg
(don't mind the crappy look of it, it was unfinished that time)

I had to change the colours of it after the dev team told us that we could only enter with one ring. So I changed the WHM ring into a BLM ring.
I'm sorry if the ring resembles too much of the Sephiroth ring now or if you don't find it original enough. If you don't like it just don't vote for it I'd say. It's just kind of unfair to make such a thread and tell everybody to not vote for some kind of rings because they look like this and that and that and this.

I voted for your ring. I'm sure most people just ignored him.

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Originally Posted by Ingolf

I voted for your ring. I'm sure most people just ignored him.

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Thanks, but I just wanted to explain how I came to my ring design since he/she said so many mean things about it. =(

The WHM ring was my second idea and I wanted to create an angelic ring for it. Which means I wanted it do be a wing ring with a gemstone. I thought the idea of the wings carrying the gemstone carefully, resembles the whm who care for their group. I wanted it to be white and blue since it was for WHITE mages and blue should resemble water, which means life (well that was the basic idea behind it)

after the dev team said "only one ring per person" I thought "Oh ... damn I can't really need a whm ring" lol

I thought the change from whm to a more blm looking one would be nice too and tells even a little story. especially the name fit for it. since the ffxiv world will be destroyed by a big RED meteor and everyone will rise like a phoenix from the ashes. Why not a full red ring? Well it wouldn't look good and since BLM stands for Destruction I thought the opposite of white would fit perfectly (sorry for my lousy english >__<)

Haters gonna hate.

http://hiconsumption.com/wp-content/...ristband-1.jpg

I voted for your ring as well.

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Originally Posted by Evil-Siren

Thanks, but I just wanted to explain how I came to my ring design since he/she said so many mean things about it. =(

The WHM ring was my second idea and I wanted to create an angelic ring for it. Which means I wanted it do be a wing ring with a gemstone. I thought the idea of the wings carrying the gemstone carefully, resembles the whm who care for their group. I wanted it to be white and blue since it was for WHITE mages and blue should resemble water, which means life (well that was the basic idea behind it)

after the dev team said "only one ring per person" I thought "Oh ... damn I can't really need a whm ring" lol

I thought the change from whm to a more blm looking one would be nice too and tells even a little story. especially the name fit for it. since the ffxiv world will be destroyed by a big RED meteor and everyone will rise like a phoenix from the ashes. Why not a full red ring? Well it wouldn't look good and since BLM stands for Destruction I thought the opposite of white would fit perfectly (sorry for my lousy english >__<)

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Your ring was my second favourite so it didn't get my vote. But still I, as many many others, think that yours was a fantastic work =)

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Originally Posted by Nemy

Umm, How can i vote on the designs?

The link on the lodestone just brings up the support page.

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That's where the voting is. Log in like it says and the options will come up.

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Originally Posted by Shougun

...and almost studio mic room submissions, leaves the normal person behind.

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no it doesn't. Home recording studios are very affordable and and can compete with professional recording studios. I know, I have one. However, I don't have the "radio voice" needed for the contest.

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Originally Posted by Molly_Millions

no it doesn't. Home recording studios are very affordable and and can compete with professional recording studios. I know, I have one. However, I don't have the "radio voice" needed for the contest.

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"Not to be too negative though as most of those people probably had more skill then most of us."

You could have at least left that in there. Basically you quoted only part of my post and then said what I said at the end anyways.

Also I said normal person, normal people dont build home studios for shits and giggles.

Misrepresenting >.>

I hate to break it to you guys, but a ring design contest for an mmo with under 100k subs isn't serious business, and no ones getting sued here lol... As for them not being original of course they're not. Probably like 90% of the people who bothered with this contest just googled "rings," and then found an image they liked to copy, so what? People do this sort of thing all the time, even people who make -real- jewelry for example copy each other I'm sure. As long as they didn't just copy an image, erase the watermark, and recolor it, I don't see what the problem is. Who cares about this anyway?