Last night, I was curious whether any of the old personal sites that had asked permission to use some of my parodies, 9 or 10 years back were still around.

MooRocca---People don't believe me when I tell them this, but if someone were to steal one of my original songs and have a huge hit with it and make lots of money of which I recieved none---I'd be thrilled. Not to say I wouldn't sue or try to recover profits and credit, (the credit being more important.) It's the whole idea that I'm not making anything on my own, I'm not getting noticed, no one is validating my abilities in any way (Except for here, maybe, and you're all welcome to share my profits) If someone stole it, that would prove to me that, A. it was worth something to someone, B. money can be made, and C. I can show whoever cares that something I did was successful. No one is performing our songs but us.

As for the parodies, I wouldn't want someone using a joke I wrote to support something I was against and making fun of, but this happens to everyone, in the workplace, in the media, and among friends. you have to be suffering damages to have any grounds to sue. (Martha Dtox can chip in on that one.)

I would see if you can post a note on the offending site claiming authorship and posting an opinion about theft, and link them to Amiright.

Personally, I wouldn't mind someone using my stuff on their website, as long as I was preperly credited (and they didn't somehow manage to make some cash off it), but then again, I don't tend to write political stuff, and the political stuff I do write tends to be very tongue in cheek, so I can't imagine having an ideological problem with someone using it for nefarious purposes.  But I can understand your anger if that's what happened to you.

But geez, doesn't it just take all kinds of cheek for him/her to take your work and attach HER/HIS website's copyright notice to it!

It's happened quite a bit - I have seen quite a few parodies of mine turn up on odd boards/websites.  I usually ask for people to include a link to amiright so that people can come and find more if so inclined (some even do so!). If just the lyric is posted without any attribution, I'd not find it.. so who knows how many unattributed copies there are out there.  I might write a bot which searches for multiple strings taken from a song to see if it's been posted... hold on a sec, that would be pretty easy to do - just taking up loadsabandwidth.

I spotted a comment in a blog that someone (not Rick!) had performed "A few of the difficult bits" at some convention or other... dropped him an email to ask how it went.

But sticking your own copyright onto someone else's work is either naughty, or just plain dumb.  Come to think of it, that happened for "I hate Britney Spears".. but that website's since closed down, anyway.

PS "Stealing Movies" is a great parody :)

I've had people use my "Bong Song"(a site about drugs) and "Name is Bill Clinton"( on an ORGY website) for their website, and it flatters me greatly.

But when someone on AmIRight steals a song, and submits it I get mad.
One kid actually used 85% my spoofed lyrics for his parody "One Rusty Gutter", which in some mysterious way was the same title as my parody that came out four months before his.

peace S.T.G.

I've had people use my "Bong Song"(a site about drugs) and "Name is Bill Clinton"( on an ORGY website) for their website, and it flatters me greatly.

But when someone on AmIRight steals a song, and submits it I get mad.
One kid actually used 85% my spoofed lyrics for his parody "One Rusty Gutter", which in some mysterious way was the same title as my parody that came out four months before his.

peace S.T.G.


Wow, stole it from Amiright and then posted it to Amiright with his name on it?  Either he held the door while everyone else got in line for brains or he got in line twice for cajones... or both!!     

I've had people use my "Bong Song"(a site about drugs) and "Name is Bill Clinton"( on an ORGY website) for their website, and it flatters me greatly.

But when someone on AmIRight steals a song, and submits it I get mad.
One kid actually used 85% my spoofed lyrics for his parody "One Rusty Gutter", which in some mysterious way was the same title as my parody that came out four months before his.

peace S.T.G.


You're not alone, S.T.G. .... check out my Messageboard posting on the Duplicate-Idea thread:

http://inthe00s.com/index.php/topic,1781.0.html

i just found out that one of my lotr parodies... and the lowest rated one to my knowledge (2.86, 7 votes) made it onto a website called bagginses.com and the song i wrote about snoop dogg's announcement he was going sober the day i found out about it (8 votes, 3.5) is on some health website

I found my recording of Poop Scoop Boogie on todays-woman.net or something  :)

Whoever posted it did give me (and my cat) full credit though.  So, no worries.

Jeff, that's all you can ask for in this medium.

they were both attributed to me by name too i wouldn't have found them with a google search otherwise

I agree Rick...it's flattering when someone likes my stuff enough to pass it along (with or without my knowledge), and if they leave my name attached, that's excellent.  I've seen other songs on bulletin boards, weird search pages, etc as well.

  Some people really get obnoxious about it, huh?  After reading all these, I want to do a search for any of mine...guess it would be flattering after I got over being angry.  But, if it's on a site that I totally disagree with, I will make some noise.

Not so much stolen as taken, given credit for, and posted.  Not so much flattered as freaked out.  ???

http://vampyr.pitas.com/

But, if it's on a site that I totally disagree with, I will make some noise.

IKWYM... I don't think this guy recogizes irony

IKWYM... I don't think this guy recogizes irony




Phil, that is hysterically funny!  HE's the irony, posting your parody as pulpitly preachable!

IKWYM... I don't think this guy recogizes irony




Gee Phil, you probably saved souls completely against your will! :o ;)

The even funnier bit is that he originally included Strike Me Smite Me and Dear Lord and Father of Mankind in that list ;)

IKWYM... I don't think this guy recogizes irony




Who are you guys talking about?  Somebody that put a parody on a web page?

Who are you guys talking about?  Somebody that put a parody on a web page?

Yep - and I quote:
There is no such thing as "Christian Music" Only Christian lyrics. This site is dedicated to giving a lot of songs the lyrics God originally intended for them.
...he removed  "Strike Me Smite Me" and "Dear Lord and Father of Mankind" when I pointed out to him that it would take a rather unorthodox view of Christianity for these to be lyrics as God intended (though maybe I'll suggest he adds "The Battle Hymn of the Atheist" or "Jesus Loves the Little Children" and see what he says)

seen a couple of site where my stuff's been posted, credited to me though. Not really bothered, the ones I've seen about on other sites are pretty good so I'm happy they're spreading ;D

Not stolen, but they didn't ask me first......but I don't mind:

http://bapresley.com/silverthreads/parody/

Phil:
Noticed a few of mine on that Christian website a few years ago.  I figured the guy had to have some sense of humor to post some of the parodies that he did.  I don't have any problem with this as long as there is attribution (as I think Johnny D mentioned).  Anyway, I may have missed a post, what was problematic about your posts there?
bob

I didn't have a problem with them, they're just not exactly "Christian"... more, well, atheist actually - Strike Me, Smite Me, for example.  I did suggest he'd like to link to The Battle Hymn of the Atheist, but for some reason he passed up that opportunity ;)

Your parodies, you mean, are more atheist, not the site.  Right?  I think he posted two of mine which were critical of Pat Robertson.  But, that's why I thought this guy had some sort of sense of humor.  I mean, readers and writers of this site get bent out of shape over anti-religious parodies, but this guy is putting them up. 
Keep away from the faith,
bob

Not stolen, but they didn't ask me first......but I don't mind:

http://bapresley.com/silverthreads/parody/



they linked to amiright instead of just posting it on theirs... heck, that should be encouraged

We found a couple of ours on a Message Board called squark.com posted by an unregistered user calling him or herself "Merry/Pippin." But the full parody with title and 'by Merry and Pippin" was posted, and the other day I found an old comment on one of ours on AmiRight signed 'squark.com." ;D

  I saw that one, Meriadoc!  Didn't think it was stolen, and a comment was on there supposedly by you too?  :o

they linked to amiright instead of just posting it on theirs... heck, that should be encouraged


Like I said, I didn't really consider them "stolen" ... and I agree with you, Chucky, the more links to Amiright, the better for you, Amiright, and everybody here.  More traffic = more advertising value, of course!

We found a couple of ours on a Message Board called squark.com posted by an unregistered user calling him or herself "Merry/Pippin." But the full parody with title and 'by Merry and Pippin" was posted, and the other day I found an old comment on one of ours on AmiRight signed 'squark.com." ;D

Yes, there's a few on the squark messageboard - I spotted one or two of mine there a fair while back and popped in to say hi.  Come to think of it, I'm probably responsible for the M&P parodies turning up there (I recommended one or two other authors to have a look at), but I'm definitely responsible for the links which are now posted with the parodies.

There are zillions of instances of my "Y.O.D.A" (and many others) scattered across the web without my name. Sometimes when I get bored I email a batch of webmasters and ask them to link to my official site.

There are zillions of instances of my "Y.O.D.A" (and many others) scattered across the web without my name. Sometimes when I get bored I email a batch of webmasters and ask them to link to my official site.


You ever get them to reply?  I did that with another site, but there were no answers.  Maybe I just wrote the wrong person.

Yes, there's a few on the squark messageboard - I spotted one or two of mine there a fair while back and popped in to say hi.  Come to think of it, I'm probably responsible for the M&P parodies turning up there (I recommended one or two other authors to have a look at), but I'm definitely responsible for the links which are now posted with the parodies.


I have one up there as well.  I just assumed M&P had actually submitted their stuff there.  Didn't get a lot of exposure.

I have one up there as well.  I just assumed M&P had actually submitted their stuff there.  Didn't get a lot of exposure.


I thought you ALL had submitted there!  ;D

Yes, there's a few on the squark messageboard - I spotted one or two of mine there a fair while back and popped in to say hi.  Come to think of it, I'm probably responsible for the M&P parodies turning up there (I recommended one or two other authors to have a look at), but I'm definitely responsible for the links which are now posted with the parodies.


Cool Phil! Thanks!  :D

You ever get them to reply?  I did that with another site, but there were no answers.  Maybe I just wrote the wrong person.


Some do, some don't. I've found that the best way is to title the email "Copyright Breach", it gets their attention. I usually then say that I don't mind them using it provided they credit me and link to my site, and give them the year in which I wrote it (eg "copyright is 1995").
I keep the email friendly and don't threaten (in virtually all cases they received it in an email from a friend and had no idea it was actually written by a real person), and it usually works.

This is interesting.  The Dallas Press Club hosts an annual Gridiron Dinner where comedy/parody skits/songs are performed based upon the past year's news events.  I'll let you take a look, if interested.  I'm certainly interested in your reaction.  Thanks.  Bob

http://www.pressclubdallas.com

No song parodies yet, but I've been asked permission for a Jabberwocky parody by a Lewis Carroll newsletter and asked by a ham radio club for a "You Might Be A..." list.  A search revealed that list in three other places that didn't ask permission, but it was always credited.  Guess my song parodies aren't worth stealing...yet.

Don't know if this was covered earlier in the thread, but I thought I'd pass on some information I'm getting about "stolen" parodies.  Statutory damages, that is damages to copyrighted material, are $150,000 per work.  It costs approx $30 to copyright a work - forms available at www.copyright.gove and the instructions are pretty easy. 
Certainly, it may not be practical to register every parody that one writes, however, one never knows who is going to take the work or where it will be performed.  This is certainly evidenced very recently by another parody author on this site.  You wouldn't believe the copyright infringement that took place.
For what it's worth, I hope this helps.
KTD

...  It costs approx $30 to copyright a work...KTD


Thanks.  You can actually submit an entire batch of pieces together for a single $30 fee.

Thanks Leo.  Haven't read the material, so I did not know that.  That can ease the pain a bit.  Remember that statutory damages can not be recovered if the work is not copyrighted before the infringement.
KTD

Thank you Leo.  As (at least?) one writer could tell you from this site, one never knows when this information will come in handy.  And you'd be surprised (even outraged) as to the identity of the guilty ones.

I just found my parody "Longbottom Leaf" on the following web-page......at least they give me full credit and link-back to Amiright:

http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=273&PN=0&TPN=2

Do any of these look familiar to anyone?

http://www.lotrspoofs.com/songspoofs.html

Do any of these look familiar to anyone?

http://www.lotrspoofs.com/songspoofs.html



Oh Wow!  I almost had a heart attack when I saw the URL...but apparently none of my stuff is good enough to plagiarize...hehehe... ;)

I found my recording of Poop Scoop Boogie on todays-woman.net or something 

Whoever posted it did give me (and my cat) full credit though.  So, no worries.


I would be the admin of todays-woman.net or something ;) and full credit I did give  ??? not only that I gave you a free plug to  8)

Thank you very much...I was actually flattered to see it on the site (and I did notice you gave me credit).  More exposure is probably a good thing :)  And I've looked around the todays-woman.net site, it has some good stuff to read.





I would be the admin of todays-woman.net or something ;) and full credit I did give  ??? not only that I gave you a free plug to  8)