Rick Eloy Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 This is sad, but I have to bring it up. I was browsing some 3D modelling company sites when I got to a company called Wax Multimedia. The company was supposed to create, among other media stuff, 3D models for architecture. So, there I went, following this link: Wax 3D Some thumbnails appeared and I saw something strangely familiar. "Weird", I thought. "I think I've seen these somewhere else". But, it was just thumbnails, maybe I was mistaken. No, I wasn't. There's a lot of great images there. Strangely enough, some of them were made by this chinese guy who doesn't speak any English and uses to post 200 images at once in the Finished Work forum: Chen (the famous cqfcqf ). Unless he's really working for some company here in São Paulo, I think they used his images totally without permission. I may be called a radical, but it's a shame that a "company" uses someone else's great images (of course, he posts hundreds of images at a time and gives us no information about them, but who cares? ) and doesn't even give the proper credits. SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! I don't know what can be done here. If anyone has an idea, please. This happened to Chen, but could happen to anyone of us. [] Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quizzy Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 The same goes for this picture: which was done by Chang Kyung Seok..... hmmmmm.. Well.... I don't know if chinese copyright aplies in Brasil.... I'VE SEND AN E-MAIL TO CHEN........ [ January 15, 2003, 08:06 AM: Message edited by: quizzy ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Eloy Posted January 15, 2003 Author Share Posted January 15, 2003 Exactly! (BTW, that image has been an inspiration to me, it's so real.) But you got a point, quizzy. Copyright laws should apply to all countries, no matter what the subject of it. What is right is right! And this brings an interesting point. We all know it's physically impossible to protect our work from the bad professionals around the world. I mean, I saw the web page and, by coincidence, I know Chen's work. But what guarantees do we have that the same isn't being done in other parts of the world? I mean, what are the odds of the owner of the images discovering that they are in your web site? 1 in 1 zillion? How can we react to this kind of thing? It just makes me mad! MAD! MAD! MAD! [] Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quizzy Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 I've also sent an e-mail to those guys at wax.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chen3d Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 hi,Quizzy and Rick Eloy,thanks for you sent this information to me I am very surprised, and also very helpless.I have no way to resolve this problem, concerning copyright, it is impossible for me go to Brazil discuss with him The hope does not want to appear again such circumstance, I think that this is the problem that can't resolve, can let God blessing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Miranda Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 Hi folks, Those guys are crazy!!! They´ve stolen an image straight from the Cebas Final Render homepage as well. WHAT A SHAME. [ January 15, 2003, 09:26 AM: Message edited by: Christian Miranda ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Jeff Mottle Posted January 15, 2003 Administrators Share Posted January 15, 2003 Hey guys, Here is the contact info for both the site owner and the ISP (most importantly) email the owner or call them if you can and let tem know that you will not put up with theft. Then email the ISP and tell them that that they are hosting stolen materials. If they are responsible they will pull the site. If you get no rsponse from either I will post a news item to publically discredit them. In the meantime I am goign to email Cebas to let them know what is going on. The more artist shtta know what is going on the better chance we have of shutting these idiots down. Which imaegs were Cebas so I can point them out? Let me know what happens guys, I'll do anything in my power to help you get them shut down or in legal hot water. I HATE theft like this! [WHOIS INFO removed in light of the response from WAX studios.] [ January 15, 2003, 09:54 AM: Message edited by: Jeff Mottle ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wax Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 Dear CGArchitect contributors, I am truly sorry to see this as well, as I have just merged with this little company and merged it with mine keeping the name. We have no intention of borrowing or using or stealing any of your hard work nor anyone else's. We have not changed the website nor its content as for the moment we are trying to get organized here and changing our focus and staff (as I'm sure you can see is necessary. But I assure you all and especially Michael Quist for bringing it to our attention, these images have just been removed (all of them) until we sort out what exactly is the property of the company. We strongly believe in copyright laws as we all work very hard to make our mark on the world and the business. Please accept our apology for any infringements that have been made, I assure you we none have been made intentionally. Sincerely, wax multimídia P.S. I would like a chance to make this right as it just came to my attention, so as you all know my ISP and my IP any mail bombs or adverse behavior would really hinder a situaltion that i am attempting to right. Thank you for your consideration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quizzy Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 I think its all straighten out now.... And thank you Rick for paying attention... cheers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Jeff Mottle Posted January 15, 2003 Administrators Share Posted January 15, 2003 Thanks for dealing with this so quickly Richard. Cheers, Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Eloy Posted January 15, 2003 Author Share Posted January 15, 2003 Originally posted by Jeff Mottle: Thanks for dealing with this so quickly Richard. Cheers, Jeff I feel much better now. And thank you quizzy and Christian Miranda. You guys helped more than a lot! [] Rick [ January 15, 2003, 10:48 AM: Message edited by: Rick Eloy ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Westlund Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 Thanks again for the email Rick. It seems (my employee was emailed and actually figured a way to use the forum (I cant believe that one) and took dictation from me over the phone as I was out of the office. Again sorry for the mistake (the mistake is my not looking at the site and its content when getting involved here) As I said any work that I cannot identify as work done in this office before I came has been removed. RW P.S. Thanks Jeff for removing any personal info from your post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Eloy Posted January 15, 2003 Author Share Posted January 15, 2003 Hi, Richard. You really shouldn't worry about your personal information. I'm pretty sure no one here would bomb-mail you at all. Once again, I really appreciate your quick response to the issue. As you know, I started this thread (in a very rude way, I admit) only because I've seen things like this happen before, but this time I know the people involved (Chen), and decided to make a move. The main issue here is, imho, the fact that the images were used without the credits. We, members of the CGArchitect community, have always shared our work with each other in a way to grow as professionals. So, when I saw those images, I decided to let YOU guys know and the owner of the images know about it, so he could do something. I sent an e-mail thru your website, but never got an answer. Here, quizzy had better luck. As Jeff said, your response was quick and very effective. And I'm sure you had nothing to do with the choice of images shown on the site. See you around Pinheiros..... [] Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sawyer Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 Awsome Rick!! That was a real BAD ASS move! We all appriciate it. Thanks Sawyer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Westlund Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 Rick, Are you really here in Brasil? Id like to meet you sometime. Im a regular guy, really. I have no interest in using others work at all. um as far as who emailed me, I (or should I say my employee who monitors the webEmail) only recieved one from - hell, its late and has been a busy day, so Im not sure, but only one email. If anyone need to email me with complaints or whatever THIS identity or username with my name you can get through, all emails will be responded to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mzagorski Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 Just a slightly amusing note. I did some lightscape renders a while back for a company making some expensive computer equipment. Anyway... they has my renders on their website and one day they can across them on a competitors website. We both contacted the competitor who admitited to using our "Photographs"... they didnt realise that they were computer generated. At first I was pretty pissed off.. wanted some blood... but in the end, I was quite flattered that I had done the job - they were mistaken for photos of the real thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Eloy Posted January 15, 2003 Author Share Posted January 15, 2003 Originally posted by Richard Westlund: Rick, Are you really here in Brasil? Id like to meet you sometime. Im a regular guy, really. I have no interest in using ... We all know now that it was never your intention to do any harm, Richard. Don't worry. With your quick response, you showed us you are a responsible professional. And yes, I'm in Brasil (São Paulo, to be exact). If you want, we cant talk anytime! Just e-mail me! [] Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nisus Posted January 18, 2003 Share Posted January 18, 2003 Hi all, Srry to hear this happened, glad to hear it's solved. Personally, we've been into a situation like this several times. Once, in a firm-to-firm competition to get a job, we saw another firm using very well known GI-images (gi-software firms demo images) and claiming THIS was the new result of their recent R&D... Horrible, especially when you're the one making a bad apperance pointing this out. Clients just don't know these images so some use this at their advantage... Another story - stealing images - happens very frequent inhere... People think images are free to use. I've seen my work published several times in ads and even political-party-magazines without any notification at all... Unfortunately there is not much to do as you would put an enormous amount of energy to get this straightend out (if ever!). Energy, you'd really want to spent on other things... Too many people take advantage of this: it's not the treshold of what one may or may not do that counts anymore, but the treshold of when one will be suited... Awful imho... Anyway, I'm glad to see you all put your hands together to get this solved! rgds nisus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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