| Now I've seen (or heard) everything! I've heard of people stealing content. I've heard of people stealing photos. But someone stole my voice!
About a year ago I did an old promo video for my business, Nashua Video Tours (below, left). It's just a simple comparison between video and 360 degree tours. This guy frtom KJ Video Tours in Tampa, FL stole my VOICE.... he changed the speed (kind of like a reverse munchkin trick!) and put it on his video, promoting his business! The guy from AK Real Estate Tours stole some video and the script... and added some new video! My head is still spinning! In a million years I never thought I would see something like this.... Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery... I guess... but this is bizarro.... |
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This was my original video....
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...and this one takes my voice,
changes the speed and adds different video! WTF??? |
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And this guy took the video and added a new voice, same script!
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AgentCasts Real Estate Video Tours - Fort Lauderdale, FL
Wow - simply absurd! Hopefully the emails and phone calls are already in-process. =]
Best Regards,
Dan Dashnaw
Oct 24, 2007 05:06 AM
| Nashua Video Tours - Nashua, NH
Real Estate Video Tours for MA and NH
Well KJ Video Tours just likes to STEAL content from a variety of places:
http://www.kjvideotours.com/prepare.html is word for word from About.com
An equal opportunity sleazebag!
Oct 24, 2007 05:30 AM
Keller Williams Realty - Boston, MA
Realtor, CLHMS
FRED !
Spoke to our patent attorney, www.strategicpatentlaw.com , he told me to tell you
call him (no charge) to see if it passes the SNIFF test .. looks bad, smells bad.. GUESS WHAT !!
Voice alteration, creates debate, implying you're drunk .. serious harm !!
Get em Fred !
Sandra
Oct 24, 2007 07:28 AM
Howard Hanna Cleveland City Office - Cleveland, OH
Realtor, ePRO
Georgia Elite Realty - Marietta, GA
Marietta Real Estate Agent - Photographer
Hahaha, that is crazy! You probably don't need to sue them, I bet a quick phone call would get that taken down pronto. Not to go to their defense or anything (that was blatant copyright infringement imo) but it is possible they just didn't know any better... Nah, they had to know they were ripping you off! Be flattered, but then get that crap taken down.
Oct 24, 2007 03:44 PM
Vidlisting.com - Bremerton, WA
Real Estate Video Mentor - Vidlisting.com
Fred: You can also contact the provider to take down the videos based on copyright infringement and then get advice on other legal remedies after that.
Tony
Oct 24, 2007 05:04 PM
Bean Group | Brin Realty Associates - Amherst, NH
Amherst NH homes and Southern NH real estate
These guys should be ashamed of themselves...I'm glad to see your blog under the google search
for this guy....He should pull it off the web, apologize. do the work himself!
Oct 25, 2007 01:24 AM
San Diego Previews Real Estate - Carlsbad, CA
Carlsbad Real Estate and Homes
Fred: Don't you just love the speed of Google? And I just can't believe KJ Video Tours stole your voice. Perhaps you should notify Realtor.com about KJ Video Tours' violations.
Oct 25, 2007 02:28 AM
| Nashua Video Tours - Nashua, NH
Real Estate Video Tours for MA and NH
Roberta: Seriously, I find it more humorous than offensive. Actually, I just find it to be beyond weird. It had to have taken more time to extract my audio, change it's tonal quality, etc. then it would have been just record your own. And I didn't think it's all that great to begin with - but whatever......
Plus, I'm much more about revenge... LOL Having this blog post sitting right under his entry in Google is about as good as it gets for me. I have better things to do really than to hunt him down like a rabbit and pay a bunch of lawyers for doing nothing. It's not impacting me in any way.
Oct 25, 2007 02:43 AM
San Diego Previews Real Estate - Carlsbad, CA
Carlsbad Real Estate and Homes
HomeSmart - Sugar Land, TX
Thinking of moving? Call Irena Gorski 281-610-452
Fred,
I just was thinking if you shouldn't "stamp" your future videos with NashuaVideoTours small sign in the bottom corner of your video throughout entire video, just to prevent situations like this one. I did it on my last video even though my videos are not as good as yours. Anyway, I'm working on quality, and actually I just bought high definition video camera so I am excited about it a lot. BrightCove.tv gives you an option to put your logo on each of your videos you download to BrightCove .
Good Luck!
Irena Gorski
Oct 25, 2007 08:19 AM
| Nashua Video Tours - Nashua, NH
Real Estate Video Tours for MA and NH
Irene: I do actually use that feature in Brightcove in some places (like on my website) but I try not to advertise myself too much on my clients' videos - I do at the very end but that's it. This guy took my VOICE, which is even stranger! The reality is, as with photos and images if you know what to do, you can copy and reuse anything from the web. I could copy your video and just crop it enough to remove your bug in the corner, fill the screen with the cropped video and voila! It's really not that hard.
However, I'm really not sure how you protect your voice. And more importantly, why would anyone want to use my voice... that's the BIG question! LOL
Oct 25, 2007 08:24 AM
Vid2r - Denver, CO
damn fred, now I've seen it all!! what a douchebag that guy is....he doesn;t even know how to correctly use the pitchshifter. And the video, did he shoot that with a cell phone?
Dec 05, 2007 06:07 AM
SurfTheTurf.com, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
→ Carlsbad Real Estate
Hey, did you know that willful copyright infringement subjects the violator to treble damages? I'd write a cease and desist letter or call them and ask them who their attorney is because you need to speak with the attorney who will be defending the lawsuit. Outrageous! You should kick them in the butt for taking your stuff.
Margaret
Dec 08, 2007 06:49 PM
OnQ Film Inc - Corvallis, OR
Fred.. there is an example case to look at in this instance, although I don't know if a "celebrity" status would be applicable.
10 or 15 years ago, Joan Rivers sued a producer using an impersonator of her in a spot. I believe she won.
In my mind, you have been damaged to the extent that your "services" have been stolen and deprived you of a legitimate business opportunity.
A cheap route would be to hire an attorney to draft a quick letter demanding the equivalent of your fee to produce what he stole, or cease and desist.
Have you considered a watermark of your logo on all your footage? Would brokers or sellers protest that sort of thing?
Dec 09, 2007 04:00 AM
| Nashua Video Tours - Nashua, NH
Real Estate Video Tours for MA and NH
Marty: A watermark wouldn't keep someone from stealing an audio track. I don't think you can protect that.
I haven't done anything to date because when you Google KJ Video Tours, right under his post is MY post clearly stating he STOLE my voice.
I'm kind of getting a little satisfaction with that right now. Hopefully he'll lose business because of it.
Dec 09, 2007 04:52 AM
OnQ Film Inc - Corvallis, OR
Yeah, the audio is a different beast to protect... at least with the video you do have the option of branding it with a logo.
That's hysterical about your post as it shows up on Google right under his site results!!LOL
In reality, if he contacted you in advance and offered to properly credit, tag, and maybe link to you... you may have even considered granting him permission?
Shoot! This foils my plan. I was going to steal KJ's video and speed it up... but now if I do THAT, it's going to sound like the original and my scam will be completely exposed!
Dec 09, 2007 05:07 AM
Vid2r - Denver, CO
Fred,
Liscense all of your web content through creative commons. That way, it is totally enforcable, and he has to take it down!
Dec 09, 2007 05:11 AM
MOOERS REALTY - Houlton, ME
Northern Maine Real Estate-Aroostook County Broker
You'll have to get one of those Darth Vadar voice boxes..and threaten to hunt down the scoundrel that rips of your voice one more time. Not matter where they run in the solar system. Seems many music beds folks use in videos are either not appropiate, stolen or would be better not to have any. When I worked in radio we paid ascap and bmi for licensing rights. We did not use a recognized song in production of spots. With video, maybe making your own music and something not recognizable so the viewer/listener does not find themselves singing along and not listening to you one iota! I don't mean dig out the white with red mouth piece flute-a-phone from 4th grade...but something other than a set of bag pipes or Weird Al polka theme. I find with the Kentucky Chicken "Sweet Home Alabama" jingle I don't pay much attention to the announcer...mouth water over the food but don't get the line or ad punch. Keep up the good work Fred. You are the Rudolph of this group.
Dec 16, 2007 09:47 AM
Rainer
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