Take a look at this!

[Soup Parrot]

On this line of discussion: Could we/somebody/anybody please report ExnemSims for profiting off of Disney?  At least I think it's Disney.  Whatever Winnie the Pooh falls under.  But there are others, too.

Either way, they're SELLING the copyrighted character, in its exact representation, as a toy for the Sims.  You can only access it if you're a subscriber.  Meanwhile, they state on their front page: "All of the content at this site is completely original and of TOP QUALITY"

So why do they need to SELL Sim versions of copyrighted things like Spongebob, Winnie the Pooh, Shrek, Spiderman, Loony Toons, etc, etc.

I'm fairly certain that this IS illegal, since they're profiting off of it.  For the longest time, Eeyore/Igor/whatever was on the front page of their site, shown under the subscriber section.

My friend who is a Disney Stockholder, reported Exnem several weeks ago. He said the person is ussually quite busy and it takes a while for them to respond. As soon as he hears back I will let you know. But EXNEM has been reported I know more than once for this. Does he have permission to use copyrighted video games for his arcade series, movie posters, sesame street all thats in violation.


As far as the post on the BBS I have written the EFF. If others would write they may help our cause as filesharing is their specialty. Write here;
information@eff.org
If you dont know what they do who they are check this out:
http://www.eff.org/about/

[Zazazu]

You know, it just sounds like they are starting to break down. Like they are getting so many calls and emails that most of them are following what I'm sure is the party line "refer to the EULA, then to their own attorney". Some actually give a crap and are, you know, answering, but as themselves with their own opinions and not as EA employees.

Telling people to ask their own attorneys is ridiculous. The small site owners don't have attorneys and very well aren't going to pay the godawful fees to make an inquiry. The big ones (TSR) I'm sure already have one on staff/retainer. The sheeple...come on, now. You expect a 12-year old with a reasonable inquiry to have an attorney.

Just answer the freaking question, already! I'm seriously tempted to just write the EA legal department and say:

<begin fictitious email>
Hi sweetie! Listen, I know you are getting this question over and over and are right sick of it. But we're awfully confused, and the poor sheep don't know which way to go. I'm going to make this as easy as possible for you, ok?

1. Paysites [ ] OK   [ ] Not OK
2. SimPE/CEP [ ] OK  [ ] Not OK
3. Redistributing pay files without site-owner's permission in a free manner with credit to the creator [ ] OK  [ ] Not OK  [ ] You didn't hear it from me, but go ahead
4. EA will do something concrete about this whole paysite/freesite madness [ ] Before Sims3/Spore [ ] With Sims3/Spore [ ] When monkeys fly out of my butt
</end fictitious email>

Actually, you know, I think I will. If anything, it will make them laugh.

[Soup Parrot]

Karminger said;
Telling people to ask their own attorneys is ridiculous. The small site owners don't have attorneys and very well aren't going to pay the godawful fees to make an inquiry. The big ones (TSR) I'm sure already have one on staff/retainer. The sheeple...come on, now. You expect a 12-year old with a reasonable inquiry to have an attorney.


Exactly!!! So, that is why I wrote the EFF, and asked them for help with correctly interpeting the EULA, any help in general as i aprised them what was going on, and how was younger users supposed to know how to interpet the EULA.

[keirra]

I love your fictitious email.    It made me lulz.  :lol:

[Requip]

Hi sweetie! Listen, I know you are getting this question over and over and are right sick of it. But we're awfully confused, and the poor sheep don't know which way to go. I'm going to make this as easy as possible for you, ok?

1. Paysites [ ] OK [ ] Not OK
2. SimPE/CEP [ ] OK [ ] Not OK
3. Redistributing pay files without site-owner's permission in a free manner with credit to the creator [ ] OK [ ] Not OK [ ] You didn't hear it from me, but go ahead
4. EA will do something concrete about this whole paysite/freesite madness [ ] Before Sims3/Spore [ ] With Sims3/Spore [ ] When monkeys fly out of my butt

ROFL! This reminded me of those kindergarten notes......"do you like me? Mark yes or no"  :lol:

[SnarkyShark]

As far as the post on the BBS I have written the EFF. If others would write they may help our cause as filesharing is their specialty. Write here;
information@eff.org
If you dont know what they do who they are check this out:
http://www.eff.org/about/

Just sent them an email asking if they could help. Thanks for the link.

[Quorneater]

Well I am just going to continue playing and creating in the way that gives me the most pleasure.  If whatever I am doing offends a term of the EULA I shall leave the responsibility with EA to contact me and let me know.   That's probably what the paysites are thinking, too.

[darkangel]

EA found a way to glide out of this whole disaster huh.  :roll: "We're not saying either is correct, just look for yourself, it's not our problem anymore"

Meh, I just got banned off 4 communities because I posted about PMBD months ago. I rather pissed, yes.

I still won't pay. It makes no sense. Also, I fear that many non-pay-sites will hopp on the must-pay-train.


Just as I was starting to like EA, I'm hating it again.  :roll:



BTW what about Pes? No doubt, there will be tons and tons of lawsuits be filed against PMBD as the I.P. rights belong to the creator (aka the paysites).

[Renegade]

I wanted to point out that the EULA has changed. Information regarding custom content has been edited. We were unable to get this EULA change in Bon Voyage but we are working to have the edits reflected in future games

1. Then it doesn't even matter if there is a "new" EULA, because we can't agree to it, therefore we are not obligated to comply with it.  It is moot.

2. If this change is so "official", and applies to HomeCrafter, Bodyshop, and the Selling/Sharing of Sims 2 Content pay or free, post it on the front page of http://www.thesims2.ea.com.  Though because of reason #1, this is still moot.

For the two reasons above, I can't put any stock in what MaxoidDrea says, I'm sorry.  Especially given that various other people at EA say the complete opposite.

They need to either say something concrete or shut the hell up, if they really want to stay out of it.  By saying nothing they were able to sit on the fence, but now that various EA employees are saying different things, they're no longer sitting on the fence but running around like headless chickens.

ETA: Maybe someone local can call EA's Legal Dep't and ask again, AND mention what one of the "Maxoids" said.  It conflicts with what HawkGirl was told by Alex.  He said there to go by the Homecrafter and BodyShop EULAs and asked her "where she heard" some info, well now some Maxoids are spewing this out.  This is total crap.  Is Bon Voyage their last EP?  If not, it's not too late for them to sort this shit out and do the right thing by getting rid of paysites. They bring nothing but division, hate, and elitism to the Sims2 community.

[Roxelane]

With the new EULA EA of the Community added large damage, the Denunzierer (Slanderer) has now free travel.

[Paleoanth]

Well I am just going to continue playing and creating in the way that gives me the most pleasure.  If whatever I am doing offends a term of the EULA I shall leave the responsibility with EA to contact me and let me know.   That's probably what the paysites are thinking, too.

I agree with this.  I don't plan on changing anything about what I am doing or how I create.   I would like one statement that is consistent from all of EA/Maxis, but for now it looks like EA is going to basically say that paysites are fine and there is a certain amount of intellectual property ownership for creators.   But, I also seriously doubt they will do anything about file sharing itself, no matter what they put on any EULA.  I cannot see them using expensive resources to come after file sharers here or at SFV.  As has been pointed out by many, it looks like they are going to allow the community to deal with this issue.

[Sherry]

ETA: Maybe someone local can call EA's Legal Dep't and ask again, AND mention what one of the "Maxoids" said.  It conflicts with what HawkGirl was told by Alex.  He said there to go by the Homecrafter and BodyShop EULAs and asked her "where she heard" some info, well now some Maxoids are spewing this out.  This is total crap.  Is Bon Voyage their last EP?  If not, it's not too late for them to sort this shit out and do the right thing by getting rid of paysites. They bring nothing but division, hate, and elitism to the Sims2 community.

Why?  I can tell you what id going to happen right now.  You are going to hear:  "Oh nos the Maxoids are wrong, paysites are wrong, report their evilness if they are breaking copyright, and share freely."  Yet for some strange reasons Maxoids don't appear to be corrected, their incorrect information doth not disappear.

Sorry I am PMSing badly and I know and have heard from multiple reliable sources that places like TSR is getting a completely different answer.  If someone is going to contact EA, try contacting them as a paysite owner and see what they have to say.  Now that would be interesting.  Though unless you are TSR the answer will propbably be, talk to your lawyer.  Still, would be interesting enough to hear.

EA is not taking any stand.  At this point all we are doing is annoying them, which is at least what they deserve for not being able to give anyone (free sites and pay) a straight answer about anything.  Now I say ask away, but do not put too much stock into anything they say.  I'll rejoice when TSR is shut down and not before.

[SnarkyShark]

With the new EULA EA of the Community added large damage, the Denunzierer (Slanderer) has now free travel.

We'll be OK, Roxelane.  Truth be known, having EA on our side made me a little bit uncomfortable to begin with. I mean they have always been wishy-washy with regards to paysites, so there was always a sense of NOT being able to depend on them. Besides, it's much better to have your opponents out in the open.

By the way Tarox is one of the BEST sims sites EVER!

[blackmars]

I'd like to believe that  at least  Will Wright supports filesharing, free custom content and not changing the EULA to kiss the ass of some fucktard and his groupies.

[Soup Parrot]

All this speculation, is just wheel spinning by both sides. We should all be contacting the EFF-ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION asking for their help. They are the folks that are fighting the RIAA and lots of other bigger fishes than Electric Arts. They are in EA's backyard San Francisco, and the same state which gives them a legal advantage, they now have a EU one too located conveniently in Switzerland in TSR's backyard. Two of us have writtten them so far, the more that write (email) the better chance we can get of them helping us. It would be better if lawyers on our behalf go to EA, rather than relying on some conversation with Alex. Alex who is he? Is he the head of legal? Please enlighten us Hawk Girl (sorry cant think of your user name) since you talked to him, you should of found out what his job position was there.In most big Corporations you have many employees with the same first name. Otherwise its kind of like we will be stuck in the mud with all this speculation from now until the EP following Bon Voyage, what the EULA really says. I really got the impression from the Maxoid that they were annoyed with pro and anti paysite folks squabbling.

Also I keep hearing in this thread, and S2C forum that the artist retains
Intellectual property rights nonsense. I published back several page what the official US Copyright office told me. Your CC package files are considered DERIVIATIVES you cannot copyright a deriviative. The EULA on EA's page really is vague, I would not jump to conclusions. But basically the practice is to be licensed to use a franchise or trademark commercially there is an exchange of money, and a contract.

EA is the only copyright holder and licensee, except if they used coding like from like an open source or something to build it. When you look on the TOU page they gave us several weeks back, no paysites were listed on there but their other partners. AS far as that EULA not everyone uses the CM or Homecrafter. Also it could be said that EA temporarily took out noncommercial to shut up both sides, pay and anti till they release the new EULA. The new draft could be more explicitly worded, and could go against pay content. NOW the problem is not everyone buys the new EP so how can they agree to it, the same with the Content Manager not everyone uses it. SOO this is pointless. They are trying to be stopped bugged on this issue on the Sims 2 site, so they gave something nuetral for the time being. In a court of law would the Content Manager eula hold up? I doubt it as not everyone uses it, its not the actual game software the one that came with the base pack that all players have to have. They would have to send the universal new eula in an email to all registered users, or put it up big on the front page FOR everyone to see and access not some little note from a maxoid. Thats just my opinion.