From brown Wed May 16 01:36:12 2001 Return-Path: Received: (from brown@localhost) by mrvideo.vidiot.com (8.9.3/8.9.3) id BAA02881; Wed, 16 May 2001 01:36:09 -0500 From: Vidiot Message-Id: <200105160636.BAA02881@mrvideo.vidiot.com> Subject: Re: UNAUTHORIZED USE OF TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX FILM CORPORATION PROPERTIES To: kmwlaw@flash.net (KMWLAW) Date: Wed, 16 May 2001 01:36:08 -0500 (CDT) Cc: brown@mrvideo.vidiot.com (Vidiot) In-Reply-To: <000701c0c6c8$756de8b0$0c00000a@kmwnt> from "KMWLAW" at Apr 16, 2001 03:56:21 PM X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.5 PL3] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Status: O I didn't get back to you yesterday as I received disturbing medical news about my mother and the last thing on my mind was this. Your phone call last week made it sound as if you have totally forgotten our conversation that we had a while ago. Instead, you come back with this letter, instead of doing what we had talked about. So, needless to say I am not in a hospitable frame of mind. >The most recent review of your web site located at "http://www.vidiot.com" >shows that you are still providing for download unauthorized copies of our >Client's Properties in the form of promotional video and audio clips, >opening and closing credits, video clips from selected episodes, >sequentially arranged framegrabs taken from the credits, music themes and >spoilers. Someone certainly didn't look correctly, as there are no spoilers from the shows you mentioned on my site. It is being nit-picky, that I didn't bring this on. Technically, neither did you. >As you already know, your web site posts materials that are not authorized >for distribution and our Client has legal obligations, including contractual >guild relationships, which require its action to stop such unauthorized >distribution. That is a load of crap and deep down you know it. You won't find one guild actor, producer, etc. that is screaming that web sites like mine remove material that is promoting shows that are keeping them working. The day Joss Whedon asks that fans stop what they are doing is the day Hell has frozen over. Except for 20th Century Fox, studios know the value of their fans. To wit: Daily Variety, April 30, 2001, page A4, bottom. Web sites that sell, or make available for free, complete episodes, or sell unauthorized products, defame the properties, etc., I can fully understand. Going after sites that have material like mine is totally short-sighted. It will do nothing but piss off the fans world-wide. The last thing that 20th Century Fox needs is lots of bad press over this. Then again, they just might not give-a-damn. I know you are only doing what you were hired to do, but even then you do not have to be a total yes-man. It appears from this e-mail, that you haven't even bothered to discuss this. That is partially why I am upset. I say again, their idea that they have to come down on fan sites because of some silly idea that they are contracted to do so, is just plain hooey. If that were the case, every studio would have the same so-called contractual clause that would force them to do it as well. Viacom has stated that they will not bother sites like mine. The president of Touchstone has pretty much said the same thing to the press. Coulumbia TriStar/Sony, as indicated in the article I mentioned, are doing things with the fans as well. So, where does 20th Century Fox come off with their Holier-than-Thou attitude. Do I sound bitter? Yes. On their own web site, 20th Century Fox had a posting that they are not out to close down sites. They gave a long list of what it takes to be gone after. In case you have not read it, go to the following page: http://www.vidiot.com/foxwbwar.html Go to the "My Thoughts" section. They give a list there. You will find that I do not violate any of the itemized sections. But, you can probably claim that a) is violated, since you are saying that the material isn't authorized. Hell, they could say that about every damn thing that exists. Which means, don't even bother with sections b) through g). I say the materials are authorized, as they are promos designed for ditribution and for promoting of the shows. The term hypocrite comes to mind. They put up a web page that says that they are not doing exactly what they are doing. Lastly, I am leaving the best for last. Have you read: http://www.vidiot.com/CopyrightNotice.html That was given to me, it seems by a lawyer. He has asked for non-disclosure of who s/he is, fearing repercussions. Sounds like it came from someone who does lawyering for the Hollywood industry. In any event, you are obviously going to disagree with what is stated in that notice, because you are being paid to disagree. I have nothing further to say at this time. MB -- e-mail: vidiot@vidiot.com Bart: Hey, why is it destroying other toys? Lisa: They must have programmed it to eliminate the competition. Bart: You mean like Microsoft? Lisa: Exactly. [The Simpsons - 12/18/99] Visit - URL:http://www.vidiot.com/ (Your link to Star Trek and UPN)