'Stolen' LDD MOCs in the LEGO.com Star Wars Creations Page

[Bobsy]

Keep in in mind most of the uploaders are propably kids who don't have any bad intentions, they just don't know better.

Most children over the age of about 5 know that claiming something is theirs when it isn't is a lie, and therefore wrong. The kids doing this are almost certainly even older, and well aware that they are doing a bad thing. Their view is more likely one that so long as they don't get caught, it's okay. In that case, the most valuable lesson they can get is that they WILL be caught and there ARE consequences for their wrongdoing.

Besides, if you've been the victim of a 'crime', it doesn't matter if the perpetrator is 9 or 90, you still need to protect yourself and your creations.

[Bob De Quatre]

Posted today today by this awesome builder:

I have decided to leave Creations and there are two main reasons why. One, I try to upload pictures and they get rejected for copyright issues. What if I helped create those models but I just don't own the copyrights to the pictures? Hmm? Also, it is EXTREMELY hard to get a picture uploaded. I usually get a message saying; 'An error occurred during the upload process. Please try again.'. It took me five days to get THIS message uploaded. It's finally gotten to me and I've decided to leave. Maybe I'll post comments here and there, but this is it. Demo Squad and Red Squad productions have been halted along with all the other series I've had. Creators are dropping like flies now. Thanks for a good time. - (Moderators, let this through. It is not off topic or inappropriate.)

[Ceroknight]

Kids these days...

Such a shame these kinds of issues exist..

[lightningtiger]

I totally agree with you 'Ceroknight'.....kid's these days eh ?

Gee, it took him 5 days perhaps to realise he was doing wrong or that he is blind to the truth.....cheats in the end get caught out....maybe we could nick-name him....Lance.

Edited August 26, 2012 by lightningtiger

[smokebelch]

Sorry to see you guys having LDD stuff stolen like this.

I've always found it slightly weird that if you go to the front page of the Star Wars Lego site the picture being used to highlight the 'creations' section is one of mine!! I never uploaded it, and I've never been able to find it in the creations section either- im assuming someone uploaded it pretending it was theirs only for someone to notice and remove it... Yet it still shows up on the front page!?

Very strange...

Edited August 26, 2012 by smokebelch

[purpleparadox]

Now that's a shocker, Smokebelch! I mean...the front page?! I get that you might be fine with it, but you should at least contact TLG to let them know it's yours. 

[smokebelch]

Now that's a shocker, Smokebelch! I mean...the front page?! I get that you might be fine with it, but you should at least contact TLG to let them know it's yours. 

Yeah, someone left a comment on the photo over a year ago saying they had seen it there! When I looked assumed that maybe the picture had been uploaded at some point and taken down as I could never find it in the creations section. Kinda forgot about it, but reading the thread here thought id have a look... And its still there!!

Would be very flattering to be featured on the front page of the official Star Wars Lego page... If id been given a credit... Or even asked my permission to use my photo

Just dropped them an email to ask about it... Will let you know when I get a reply.

[purpleparadox]

Just dropped them an email to ask about it... Will let you know when I get a reply.

Good! I hope they give you credit for it. I hate plagiarism.

[JackJonespaw]

Would be very flattering to be featured on the front page of the official Star Wars Lego page... If id been given a credit... Or even asked my permission to use my photo

It is an honor, as long as you get some credit. But, really, Lego creations is just a laugh for me. Most of the "comments" are: "Cool!" or "Awesome!" and that's it. And when I was looking around for some info about the LOTR Building Challenge I came across this Lego Messageboard. About half of the people were like: "I'm building _______, I'm going to win!" and the other half are: "Yea, that'll win for sure!" All in incorrect grammar, of course. I would how long they would last on Eurobricks?

[LegoMyMamma]

When I created the Brick~Busters group more than 3 years ago, there were hundreds of swipes on the creation pages there! Although the reward then was merely an unlockable screensaver, or just anonymous glory -- sometimes there are actual, tangible prizes such as LEGO sets. A recent swipe that was caught had a great winning prize!

Over time, the Mods on LEGO.com took swipes down pretty quickly; they became aware of our group. MOC photographs came down easier than LDD creations; there was a mindset at LEGO.com that somehow the digital creations (since they are amendable via the LXF file) are sort of "open source" and not subject to copyright per se. We would recommend to people to never upload the file accompanying the graphic onto the creation pages there. The general policy on LEGO.com is that anything uploaded then belongs to TLG. Of course swipers can obtain files from elsewhere & upload it; that is actually better for the original owner/creator to claim IP theft.

Posting the screencaps of the swipes with the swipers name for all to see has been a huge help to make aware the scope of the issue -- as well as help TLG "see" the problem. This documenting by the fans/members of Brick~Busters contributed to LEGO CUUSOO implementing that "Report Project" button.

My personal opinion is that watermarks do deter a bit of swiping. Many swipers are too lazy to 'shop' or paint it out. At the very least it helps ID the owner for notification.

This entire issue is like walking on eggshells since TLG has pledged huge responsibility 'to' kids. Unfortunately, kids aren't always being monitored by parents and/or they know more about technology than their parents/minders. It's an endless cycle as more kids get online younger & younger. Continuing to combat this is important also because it helps decrease the copycat swipes -- since kids have a keen sense that a creation has been swiped from a more mature fan [site] and they want the same attention that swiper gets.

An open invitation to anyone wishing to help document the swiping issue to join Brick~Busters; helping ID the owner of a creation really does take a community of eyes!

[Kim Thomsen]

Yeah, someone left a comment on the photo over a year ago saying they had seen it there! When I looked assumed that maybe the picture had been uploaded at some point and taken down as I could never find it in the creations section. Kinda forgot about it, but reading the thread here thought id have a look... And its still there!!

Would be very flattering to be featured on the front page of the official Star Wars Lego page... If id been given a credit... Or even asked my permission to use my photo

Just dropped them an email to ask about it... Will let you know when I get a reply.

Hmmm...

That's odd.

Did someone previously upload your image and then it was removed?

Or has it only been featured as the thumb for creations?

[ACPin]

Here we go again with user Legoninjagojay5284.

I've seen some of these pics in the army building thread.

Pics 2 and 4 are mine.

Lego clone army

AC

[Ceroknight]

Here we go again with user Legoninjagojay5284.

I've seen some of these pics in the army building thread.

Pics 2 and 4 are mine.

Lego clone army

AC

Yup that guy seemed suspicious, all of "his" MOCs are of very different styles making it hard to believe he made them..

[ACPin]

Yup that guy seemed suspicious, all of "his" MOCs are of very different styles making it hard to believe he made them..

Plus almost everything was posted on the same day and his comments on them are just too hard to believe that he actually owns them!

"Anyone who beats my entire collection on 70,947 mini figs and 4,782 vehicles, gets all of my star wars sets"

AC

[Darthluke824]

Plus almost everything was posted on the same day and his comments on them are just too hard to believe that he actually owns them!

"Anyone who beats my entire collection on 70,947 mini figs and 4,782 vehicles, gets all of my star wars sets"

AC

Wow! Not even LEGO could have all of those figures in one place! He would need to own a house for all the LEGO he owns! It would be funny if he only owned 2 Star Wars sets....

[Kim Thomsen]

I just talked to the people behind the site and they apologize for using Smokebelch's picture without asking him.

Somehow the picture ended up as a thumb and they thought it was one of "ours" since the picture is so goddam good.

I've talked it over with Smokebelch and he agreed that they can continue to use his picture.

Here we go again with user Legoninjagojay5284.

I've seen some of these pics in the army building thread.

Pics 2 and 4 are mine.

Lego clone army

AC

don't see anything.

Has he been deleted?

[Kaitan]

I've just found one of my pictures here - fleurdesel3261 - I've left an appropriate comment :)

Just going off to see if I can see any more

*UPDATE* The mods rejected my comment , so I've complained to customer services instead.

Edited August 29, 2012 by Kaitan

[TheBoyWonder]

I commented on two armies that I had seen here and the comments have gone. They don't even show as rejected?

EDIT: I now have seen the user was deleted (Acpin pointed him out.)

Edited August 29, 2012 by TheBoyWonder

[Lobot]

I've just found one of my pictures here - fleurdesel3261 - I've left an appropriate comment :)

Just going off to see if I can see any more

*UPDATE* The mods rejected my comment , so I've complained to customer services instead.

Two of the photos are of Mutley's collection!! Why do they do this......?

[TheBoyWonder]

I've just found one of my pictures here - fleurdesel3261 - I've left an appropriate comment :)

Just going off to see if I can see any more

*UPDATE* The mods rejected my comment , so I've complained to customer services instead.

My comment got rejected too.

[Bob De Quatre]

I've just found one of my pictures here - fleurdesel3261 - I've left an appropriate comment :)

Just going off to see if I can see any more

*UPDATE* The mods rejected my comment , so I've complained to customer services instead.

2 pics were removed from his(her) account.

[TheBoyWonder]

2 pics were removed from his(her) account.

He still has all the army and collection ones. I'm viewing them now.

[Kaitan]

Yep my picture went shortly after the mods rejected my comment (but not before I contacted cust services!) - I guess the mods might be taking notice. I might add that in my comment I linked back to my original Flickr posting, that might have had something to do with the removal...

[TheBoyWonder]

I've commented with links, lets see if it gets rejected like the other two.

[ACPin]

I just talked to the people behind the site and they apologize for using Smokebelch's picture without asking him.

Somehow the picture ended up as a thumb and they thought it was one of "ours" since the picture is so goddam good.

I've talked it over with Smokebelch and he agreed that they can continue to use his picture.

don't see anything.

Has he been deleted?

Most likely deleted by the person as I only posted a comment on the pic.

I commented on two armies that I had seen here and the comments have gone. They don't even show as rejected?

EDIT: I now have seen the user was deleted (Acpin pointed him out.)

I merely commented "Please take these down as these are not yours." I didn't even look if my comments were in fact posted or rejected. I've only mentioned about the user in this thread and didn't even contact TLG about it. So no matter how/who deleted the account, it's all good now. Until somebody else comes along...

AC