Copyrights & Websites

I've been using the Internet since the mid-1980s (before there was a widespread world wide web) and have been following web sites devoted to news music, tuning signals, jingles, and ID's since the very beginning, having been very interested in this material since the early 1980's.

Here in the United States, presenting a web site containing the kinds of material you find on the British ident sites is a difficult proposition.  Copyright restrictions are evidently more severe here, particularly with the free/almost-free hosting companies who merrily delete web sites containing anything even smacking of copyrighted material.  Additionally, cease and desist letters have become routine among the major American networks and production studios, targeting fan sites for using copyrighted images, sound clips, and other works as part of promoting a TV program or movie.

Thus, I've always been delighted to spend time with British sites who have managed to go beyond what has been openly possible here.  I am a big fan of all of the sites who have spent so much time and effort cataloging the history of television elements, and consider them an impressive resource.

I fully understand those who are wary because of the possibility of legal complications - who wants to pay attorney fees for what is essentially a hobby.  I fault no one for that.

Here in the States, those who have been threatened or are concerned about litigation have taken to using underground resources to share their collections.  For most of us, that means the trading services such as Morpheus, WinMx, Gnutella, and dozens of others.  We collect MP3 and other files and 'share' them with the rest of the user base by keeping them in a shared file directory.  Someone searches for a key word (BBC, ITN, CBS, etc.) and a list of available files appears, making it possible to then download those files.  The host can then also search that user's collection and pick up any gaps in the collection.

A third party site that reviews and keeps visitors informed about file sharing developments is http://www.zeropaid.com from where you can obtain several of these packages.

No, it is not nearly as convenient as visiting a web page and picking items up, but despite litigation efforts, there is simply no good way to put a stop to this file trading, and it provides a vehicle for those who want to get items out there, anonymously, to do so for the benefit of others.

One can even include a credit or sorts with a user handle or some other message as part of the file name or ID tag that scrolls by on many media player software packages.

If things get nasty, there will always be a way to keep things alive.

I encourage everyone to remember that we're in this because we enjoy the music and the other program elements.  I think we all share a healthy respect for those who take the time to do this for us (it takes longer than you might first imagine), and everyone from the users to the providers should always remember that and keep ourselves thankful that this material can be made available to us all.

Best wishes.

that's quite interesting really, we;ve always thought we were under pressure here in the UK but compared to the states....

I take my hat off to you sir!

Indeed, that's what the vast majority of us are here for...I don't know what encouraged you to write that, but it should really be read as a 'fore-prayer' for issues such as Identz. Indeed, the websites should be there for us to appreciate 'the art' of television and television presentation graphics, not as a competition between websites to see who will reveal a certain ident first, or exclusively.

(double post) sorry!

(Edited by Michael Daventry at 6:02 pm on Dec. 23, 2001)

Trying to imply something there?

Why would he need to imply anything? He is simply drawing attention to your megalomaniac tendancies.

Your very own identz.co.uk front page from the 22nd of December made the bold claim that your site, 'although not having existed for as long as other sites', 'was the FIRST to bring clean MP3's of BBC World' etc etc. You even mentioned how you had put more on your site in less time.

So what point are your trying to make here Jamez? For it has escaped me.

Probably just as well you updated the site, today was it? Your spurious ramblings about how 'people on certain forums' criticised you so much, that you 'felt it necessary to pull the content of your site'. Diddums. One would think you would spend less time on Forums, where people may discuss such matters, given that you are so fragile.

How does this tally though, with the claim on the same statement that you have been legally 'forced' to remove and watermark content? Between you and me Jamez, I know you had no such legal intervention. It really just was a way to spoil all those mp3's. Wasn't it?

And as for:

_________________________________________
Identz Statement
December 23rd 2001


Identz will be back on 1st January 2002. Thank you for all your emails of support, urging us to continue. It is because of you, that we know our efforts are not wasted.
_________________________________________


Well of course you did ask (and even provided a submission form) for people to 'show their support'. And so? What does that do for identz's ongoing problems, other than to massage your super-ego.

You are beyond the help that those messages will bring.

Its not particularly hard to turn a minidisc into an mp3. Its much harder to capture and encode the broadcasted versions, announcer or not. Given that your only claim to fame was for the copying of stolen BBC Wales minidiscs, you would think you would have the sense not to brag.

I look forward to your daily *cough* site updates....

What right do you have to pass judgement? you haven't contributed verbally or physically to Identz whatsoever!

As for your pathetic attempts at TV fame by appearing on the Weakest Link, well its rather ironic in-fact that you are the real weakest link!



I was not 'legally forced' to do anything, I acted upon legal advice, and was made aware of the consequences, and possible outcomes if I continued to flout the law.



I did my best, and the vast majority of people have downloaded the audio, which they wouldn't have got otherwise, have truely appreicated it.



Now where the hell have I said that I get 'stolen' mini discs from? That is slander, and in the real world (which you are SO out of touch with) I could start legal proceedings against you. Thats a serious allegation.



Well seen as you hate the site so much, I doubt you actually downloaded any of its content. So, you missed out!

I have freedom of speech. You put your site on the net. You started  threads here for people to give you feedback. I think it was the cander of that feedback that you didn't like.  You are at least correct in saying I didn't bother giving my opinion. I just downloaded the lot and came back to TV Home
Good greif Jamez that was poor. I havent even recorded the show yet. Do you expect me to beleive you weren't aware of the legal implications in the first place? You're not a newbie and you've spent long enough on this forum to know the facts. You implied that you were under threat of legal recourse, when that was presumably hyperbole. Why not leave the full mp3's there until the BBC ask you to remove them? *sighs* oh BRAVO Jamez for your pan-handled clips. YES, I love hearing the full versions, beds, stings and whatever the hell else there is. With more grace Jamez you could have simply continued updating your site, building on your regular visitor base and then we would all have been happy. But, umm, you took some decent forum member's opinions (and thats all they were), and you said 'no more updates!'. Then you pulled the plug. Your choice mate, but calling your regular visitors 'annoraks' and 'ident junkie freaks' just took the biscuit. What with this same lawyer? He was full of good advice that day evidently. *Throws hands up in exhaustion* Oh I have no idea where you get these MD's from. I dont care either. Of course if you took legal action, then the onus would be on you to prove that they weren't stolen/removed without permission... That would be a fine way to thank your 'contact'. Umm you mean ' seeing as you...'.  Its still terrible grammar. No, I refer you to the answer I gave some moments ago.... I got the lot - ta very much.

I doubt that a simple thanks will be enough to placate you. But isn't that half the problem?

I doubt you did get the lot, as the MP3's on Identz are less than a quarter of the files that were actually put on display on the site. Plus you don't have hard copies on MD, CD or DAT - I do.

To be honest, your bitching isn't welcome on this forum, and don't say that I'm in a tantrum - because I'm not. I, and many other people here have messaged me this evening saying what a sad little drama queen you are, and that you should be ignored.

From now on thats what I will do, because to be honest your seedy little comments are not worth reading, and you are most certainly in a minority in your narrow-minded, and extremely full-frontal veiws.

Please, for the sake of Asa's bandwidth, just sod off and do not post in any topics involving Identz in future.

For the record, it is because of you all the clean MP3's, and sounds in future have been watermarked. I just hate to see clean audio which most people appreiciate be wasted on little runts like you. Plus theres the law to bear in mind...

You don't have DAT. MD and CD yes. DAT no, don't be stupid.

Anyway. I have nothing further to say on this as this thread has no appeal to me whatsoever and I have only read it once and got bored half way through.

And the spelling and grammer on Identz just the other day was very bad.

Errrrr - and how would you know? DAT is still a very common form of data storage, and is higher quality than CD as it samples at a higher rate.



I wrote that at 3am, and I was rather far gone. My grammar and spelling is normally tip-top (got A* in English for GCSE).

Says who? This is a forum Jamez. I will post as and when I like. You and many others wrote to yourself? You might be interested to know my inbox is full of support for my comments. Some would rather see these things being said than get embroilled. Incidentally I am a trained actor so I guess Drama Queen is technically accurate. See how fast I go. I presume you were also thinking of Asa's bandwidth when you suggested he removed all his clean themes?

And finally: Sorry, I thought it was because of copyright. Stick to one lie at a time. Would this be you trying to isolate and blame other people for your decision to 'take your ball home'? I wasnt involved when you had your tantrum so you'll have to blame.... lets see... err... anyone other than yourself.

Dont waste both our time telling me not to post in an identz thread. You have no say on this website, or doubtless it would have shut down after a tantrum.