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htmlcomics.com Does this change EVERYTHING?

Started by That Ron Dude,

243 posts in this topic

the blob

the blob

Posted
Posted

People are getting arrested for downloading 'copies' of songs. By definition, they are stealing.

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i think it's the selling or distributing the copies of songs that can get you arrested, not so much the downloading. you can get sued in civil court for that though.

 

heck, most of us do something like this now and then, i guess in my old age i'm a lot more appreciative of the fact that there are people out there trying to making a living off these creative endeavors (i'm friends with a lot of writers), jobs and industries that depend on people occasionally paying for stuff, so i'm a lot less cavalier about it.

 

it's funny though, i feel differently about my own work as a lawyer. i expect people to cut and paste out of my briefs. i'm happy when a judge takes a chunk of my brief and puts it in the opinion and I assume others will copy chunks of that opinions in their own briefs. with that said, some have tried to copyright their briefs, but i think it's an uphill battle. A LOT of people over the years have gotten credit for what is my work, but put under their name, but most of the time they have been my colleagues and we're all getting paid by the same folks

 

 

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Jeffro.

Jeffro.

Posted
Posted
Well let's put it to the test. I have a police officer coming over for something unrelated later today. I will admit to him I have been reading comic books off a website that offers them for free. I will tell him I never downloaded or took possession of the comic, I simply took the website owner up on his offer to read the book. And we'll see if he arrests me for theft.

 

 

:eyeroll:

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Ares

Ares

Posted
Posted
Well let's put it to the test. I have a police officer coming over for something unrelated later today. I will admit to him I have been reading comic books off a website that offers them for free. I will tell him I never downloaded or took possession of the comic, I simply took the website owner up on his offer to read the book. And we'll see if he arrests me for theft.

 

Make sure you tell the office that the website does not have permission from the copyright holders to post/ reproduce or post the books online.

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RichardWrite-migration

RichardWrite-migration

Posted
Posted
Well let's put it to the test. I have a police officer coming over for something unrelated later today. I will admit to him I have been reading comic books off a website that offers them for free. I will tell him I never downloaded or took possession of the comic, I simply took the website owner up on his offer to read the book. And we'll see if he arrests me for theft.

 

Make sure you tell the office that the website does not have permission from the copyright holders to post/ reproduce or post the books online.

 

A) What the website owner did or did not have regarding permission would not affect whether it was "theft" for me to read a book without ever taking possession of it. Let's assume that you're right--that what htmlcomics.com did was theft (I don't believe that, but for the sake of argument, let's say it is). If a guy off the street stole a book from Barnes & Noble and shows it to me, and I read a chapter, and the police find out, I would expect that the man who stole the book would be arrested for theft. Would any of us expect that if I read a chapter, I would also be arrested for theft?

 

B) The owner of that website says that at least one publisher, Marvel Comics, did not have a problem with it, because he was not distributing the books, merely allowing people to read them.

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RichardWrite-migration

RichardWrite-migration

Posted
Posted
Actually until you clear your cache, I think you will have those images in your temporary internet file folder :)

 

So, yeah, you did take possession of the "free" stuff.

 

Then why are you stealing my words by reading this forum? I didn't say you can take possession of my words...which you're doing until you clear your cache.

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comix4fun

comix4fun

Posted
Posted
Actually until you clear your cache, I think you will have those images in your temporary internet file folder :)

 

So, yeah, you did take possession of the "free" stuff.

 

Then why are you stealing my words my reading this forum? I didn't say you can take possession of my words...which you're doing until you clear your cache.

 

You mean the words the you voluntarily posted on a forum with the express purpose of other people reading them? The same forum that has you agree to terms and conditions that anything you write on here may be seen by others and remain on this site permanently for others to view?

 

Oh yeah, that's exactly the same as a copyrighted work of fiction posted to a web site without the express consent or compensation of the creators. Yep. You nailed it.

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RichardWrite-migration

RichardWrite-migration

Posted
Posted

Ok I give up. I'll leave. I thought this would be a place to talk comic books without people getting all judgmental. I just started here today, but I guess I'll leave since so many people think that there is no room for a difference of opinion by people who simply do not get the logic of calling it "stealing" when someone reads a comic book online. Let me just repeat what I said earlier: Nobody is being deprived of any money that they otherwise would have gotten when I read a copy of Captain America #3 online....because whether I read it online or not I won't buy it in a trade paperback. It's just not the same to me, and my buying it from eBay won't result in the family of Jack Kirby getting one more penny.

 

Goodbye.

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Ares

Ares

Posted
Posted
Ok I give up. I'll leave. I thought this would be a place to talk comic books without people getting all judgmental. I just started here today, but I guess I'll leave since so many people think that there is no room for a difference of opinion by people who simply do not get the logic of calling it "stealing" when someone reads a comic book online.

 

 

You do realize this is how everyone gets treated here.

 

At least you avoided the pineapple and goat

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Jeffro.

Jeffro.

Posted
Posted
Ok I give up. I'll leave. I thought this would be a place to talk comic books without people getting all judgmental. I just started here today, but I guess I'll leave since so many people think that there is no room for a difference of opinion by people who simply do not get the logic of calling it "stealing" when someone reads a comic book online.

 

You're not stealing it. The website putting the images up is stealing it.

 

Regardless of what my personal opinions about this are, it's still stealing.

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CKB

CKB

Posted
Posted
Ok I give up. I'll leave. I thought this would be a place to talk comic books without people getting all judgmental. I just started here today, but I guess I'll leave since so many people think that there is no room for a difference of opinion by people who simply do not get the logic of calling it "stealing" when someone reads a comic book online. Let me just repeat what I said earlier: Nobody is being deprived of any money that they otherwise would have gotten when I read a copy of Captain America #3 online....because whether I read it online or not I won't buy it in a trade paperback. It's just not the same to me, and my buying it from eBay won't result in the family of Jack Kirby getting one more penny.

 

Goodbye.

 

Boy, if there was ever a time I would be wishing for RMA to show up and lay down the hurt...this would be it...

 

 

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scottish

scottish

Posted
Posted
Ok I give up. I'll leave. I thought this would be a place to talk comic books without people getting all judgmental. I just started here today, but I guess I'll leave since so many people think that there is no room for a difference of opinion by people who simply do not get the logic of calling it "stealing" when someone reads a comic book online. Let me just repeat what I said earlier: Nobody is being deprived of any money that they otherwise would have gotten when I read a copy of Captain America #3 online....because whether I read it online or not I won't buy it in a trade paperback. It's just not the same to me, and my buying it from eBay won't result in the family of Jack Kirby getting one more penny.

 

Goodbye.

 

Thick skin is a requirement for these boards sometimes (similar to most other message boards on the web).

 

I don't think anyone insulted you with their responses. It was a good debate that I shared with my wife.

 

If you don't mind my asking what do you write?

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comix4fun

comix4fun

Posted
Posted
Ok I give up. I'll leave. I thought this would be a place to talk comic books without people getting all judgmental. I just started here today, but I guess I'll leave since so many people think that there is no room for a difference of opinion by people who simply do not get the logic of calling it "stealing" when someone reads a comic book online. Let me just repeat what I said earlier: Nobody is being deprived of any money that they otherwise would have gotten when I read a copy of Captain America #3 online....because whether I read it online or not I won't buy it in a trade paperback. It's just not the same to me, and my buying it from eBay won't result in the family of Jack Kirby getting one more penny.

 

Goodbye.

 

 

 

You should have realized this is a place for people to discuss things. That doesn't mean they are going to AGREE on things, just discuss them.

 

No one is name calling. No one is getting judgmental. What they are doing is pointing to very specific details and facts that you seem to be unaware of when forming your opinion on this topic.

 

These are very clearly defined issues that have been discussed and which have been laid down in black and white. Most people, new to the boards, would take the opportunity to pick up some extra knowledge they weren't aware of instead of barging in the door and laying down "the law", as it were, the way you did.

 

There are longstanding members of this board who have dealt with the issues you raise, and the creator's rights you so casually discard and discount, for several years. Several of us are even attorneys who have dealt with the complex issues you mention.

 

It might have helped to try and see that the people you were lecturing might have already been around the block on this topic and might be able to lecture you on the topic in reality.

 

Before you go, I wanted to mention the "I gave my computer instructions and the computer did the work" argument would go the way of the "twinkie defense" in court.

 

"You see your honor, my brain gave my finger the instruction to pull the trigger, and my finger gave the trigger the instruction to let the hammer fall on the bullet, and the primer gave the gun powder the instruction to the bullet to fly out of the barrel...so as you can clearly see the I am not guilty of the crime, it's all the gun powder's fault for giving instructions to the bullet to fire."

 

That and if you want to debate a topic like this you need a thicker skin or the ability to deal with the fact that you might be incorrect when it's over without taking your ball and going home.

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AtlasFan

AtlasFan

Posted
Posted

When I first tried htmlcomics.com I was flabbergasted...WOW what a treasure trove of history! Books I have always wanted to read, but never got the chance.

 

Were they officially shut down (maybe they are doing maintenance)?

 

If they were shut down, it is a shame. One could argue that they could have been cutting into the archive/reprint market -- but seriously, I doubt that DC or Marvel/Disney makes anything substantial on those sales to even make a ripple in their balance sheets.

 

I would guess that a big gun like Disney (who are very anal about their characters) probably sent them a strong letter to "cease and desist" pending litigation.

 

Truly a shame. In essence, the site is like a library -- the only difference is that an unlimited number of people can look at any book at any time -- where as a brick and mortar library can only service very few patrons at a time.

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CKB

CKB

Posted
Posted

Man, I am just astounded at the disregard of some for Intellectual Property and IP rights. I wish I had the time and energy to be thoroughly righteous about it... I'll just agree wih some other posters that it is very hard to see someone who makes a living through IP being so cavalier about IP.

 

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the blob

the blob

Posted
Posted

B) The owner of that website says that at least one publisher, Marvel Comics, did not have a problem with it, because he was not distributing the books, merely allowing people to read them.

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well I guess that answers the question...if Marvel doesn't care, then so be it for the marvel stuff. that's the right they have -- the right to not give a sh*t, though if i were an artist/writer getting royalties i'd be miffed

 

I suspect when Marvel is fully Disneyfied they will get more aggressive. Having represented Disney a little bit in the past, that's my recollection.

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RichardWrite-migration

RichardWrite-migration

Posted
Posted
Ok I give up. I'll leave. I thought this would be a place to talk comic books without people getting all judgmental. I just started here today, but I guess I'll leave since so many people think that there is no room for a difference of opinion by people who simply do not get the logic of calling it "stealing" when someone reads a comic book online. Let me just repeat what I said earlier: Nobody is being deprived of any money that they otherwise would have gotten when I read a copy of Captain America #3 online....because whether I read it online or not I won't buy it in a trade paperback. It's just not the same to me, and my buying it from eBay won't result in the family of Jack Kirby getting one more penny.

 

Goodbye.

 

Thick skin is a requirement for these boards sometimes (similar to most other message boards on the web).

 

I don't think anyone insulted you with their responses. It was a good debate that I shared with my wife.

 

If you don't mind my asking what do you write?

 

A little bit of everything. I run my own business, which is about half copywriting (i.e., doing press releases, brochures and Website copy for businesses) and about half freelance journalism.

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