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Post by Ganheim on Mar 30, 2005 18:45:43 GMT -5
This is neither a hoax, nor a joke. This is actual company lawyers going after real people like you and me. Talk about ridiculous. I think they waited until they realized that the system worked until they decided to foul it up for everyone else. Idiots. And I even liked the previous system. |
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Post by kanshu on Mar 31, 2005 5:30:38 GMT -5
Actually, I can understand their POV, too. For them, it's a monetary issue (since they have members who pay a fee for the MPAA giving a rating to movies, etc).
So, for them the "PG-13" stuck on a movie is like a quality seal. People put work into deciding about the rating, it's their product.
What they see now happening is having their product name (namely: the rating) being stuck all over the internet on websites and for articles where they weren't involved at all. So, by their logic, it might leave the impression that the MPAA is okay with everyone just 'pretending' that a story, picture, manga - anything you post online and tag a MPAA rating to it - was rated by the MPAA when in reality, it was not.
Basically, it lowers the value of the product. What worth is the rating if, to the ordinary customer, it's not clear as to who rated the thing? Why should anyone bother to go to the MPAA if they can just as well go and plant the rating on anything they want, without having to fear the MPAA? "It's a Sony", even though it's something you created in your garage.
Only the MPAA is supposed to stick it on things they rated. Legal stuff, especially when money (lots of money) is involved, becomes paranoid.
Yes, it is like shooting with cannons on pidgeons. To us, the ordinary user who just wants to give others a helpful hint by using a well-established rating system that a lot of readers understand, it's idiotic. We don't want to do any damage, right? But, as Tupperware and Xerox have shown, if a trademark owner *doesn't* intervene, there will be damage. That's why an organization like MPAA will use the big guns. That's what makes the entire situation so... 'dangerous', because *they* do have the money and resources to make our lives living hell. And nothing's easier damaged than a reputation.
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Post by kanshu on Apr 5, 2005 9:47:56 GMT -5
More news!
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Post by kanshu on Apr 25, 2005 2:31:05 GMT -5
It seems that ffnet found another new toy...
I really wished they'd unbug the running system first...
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Post by Ganheim on Apr 25, 2005 14:58:04 GMT -5
I really wished they'd unbug the running system first... I second that. They need to get what they have working before they try to break it by throwing in something else. |
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Post by Terra Fire on Apr 25, 2005 15:32:18 GMT -5
I hear that. They keep putting up new features, but let the others to rot.
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Post by lazy kitsuneoni on Apr 26, 2005 3:20:25 GMT -5
Ooooh... That explains everything!! Better change it on my website!!
*sigh* How picky people can be.
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Post by kanshu on Apr 28, 2005 6:55:02 GMT -5
More news, and this time important stuff!
This means that all lyrics for songfics, etc. need to be removed from the story!!!
If my understanding of copyright is not too far off, you can quote a line if you give the source, but it would basically mean that from this day on, using an entire song is not allowed.
I strongly recommend that you check your fics, because I think that ffnet will kick out songfics...
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Post by kitsuneoni on Apr 28, 2005 7:55:27 GMT -5
Geez, so many changes! Ffnet hasn't done anything for so long and suddenly they are all a-panicking! *sighs* It's strange that they've only decided to "fight" songfics now. Just as well I've never liked writing them, because I don't think it really works unless you're actually listening to the music. Furthermore, half the time I either don't know the song, or can't read the lyrics because they're in Japanese.  |
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Post by Ganheim on Apr 28, 2005 11:09:03 GMT -5
This means that all lyrics for songfics, etc. need to be removed from the story!!! If my understanding of copyright is not too far off, you can quote a line if you give the source, but it would basically mean that from this day on, using an entire song is not allowed. I strongly recommend that you check your fics, because I think that ffnet will kick out songfics... I don't write songfics (in fact, I don't think I even mention music in my fics). Anyway, it's good to see that they're finally cracking down on songfics. To be honest, most of the ones I saw could have been decent fics if they weren't watered down by the interruption of song lyrics that I didn't know the tune to. Now all they need to do is something like allowing stories to be reported for massive (and inaccurate) use of obligatory Japanese/other languages and unforgivable Out-Of-Characterism. That and to fix that damned QuickEdit. |
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Post by cesmith on Apr 28, 2005 17:21:38 GMT -5
Ganheim: Believe it or not, there are quite a few Songfics that are actually rather good. However, we are not only talking about the stories that use the songs as part of the story, the songfic in the strictest sense. We are also talking about stories that integrate songs to further accentuate a point being made. rasinah has a very cute story about Hakkai confessing his love for Sanzo while singing karaoke, using a real song. That story would need to be removed, or changed. therhoda has a very humorous Fruits Basket story using karaoke as a means to bring the characters closer. That story will be removed. These are just 2 that I can think of off the top of my head, I know there are probably many more. A lot of good stories may be gone by the time ff.net is finished.
Question: Is it the story what will be deleted, or the entire account?
I'd hate to think of some of the older stories being removed for an author doing one songfic and not being around any more to correct it. Or will they be *officially* warned before deletion?
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Post by Ganheim on Apr 28, 2005 20:57:21 GMT -5
Believe it or not, there are quite a few Songfics that are actually rather good. However, we are not only talking about the stories that use the songs as part of the story, the songfic in the strictest sense. When I referred to the "songfics", I was (implying) the strict ones where the song is part (or most) of the story, not necessarily ones in which the song is used to accentuate the point - unfortunately, I haven't seen any of those fics. As for the ones that use bits of the song as an additional facet of the chapter (not the central focus), as long as the original artist is properly credited I wouldn't see a problem with it...at least, I don't think so. And as to your question about removing the story, I would hope it would only be the individual story, and I personally would want a warning to be sent first - whenever I report a story, first I try to send an email and then wait a few days for the author to make changes (I've got a word document ~13kb of stories I'm checking on for possible reporting). |
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Post by Terra Fire on Apr 28, 2005 21:56:24 GMT -5
Well, I kinda feel out of the loop here.
I used to write songfics ('used to' as in four years ago). I've deleted them all a while ago, but I've kept one, because I really meant something to me. Contrary to popular belief, there are some decent song fics out there (given that one can understand what they say). I whole reason I wrote it was because of the song, and what it meant to me.
but what are 'ya gonna do', right? *sigh*
I guess I have to edit it, or just remove it completely. I don't think I can have it without the song. I just have to remind my self so I don't forget.
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Post by lazy kitsu on Apr 29, 2005 9:04:38 GMT -5
Yeah, I was also speaking of songfics which mix lyrics inbetween the story.
Somehow, I forget about fics that use karaoke etc, it doesn't seem a songfic to me, lol.
^^
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Post by cesmith on Apr 29, 2005 17:42:50 GMT -5
Just checked the quote that OptiMoose put in her post and it says account closure, not just story deletion.
Ganhiem, I'm curious. You say that you have ~13kb of stories you are checking on for possible reporting. What do you report people for?
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