logo Sign In

Dealing with People Selling Fan Projects — Page 6

Author
Time
 (Edited)

There’s a popup banner thingy on the Fanedit site informing people not to ask for fanedits there, perhaps something similar can be done here? Like:

“Fan projects must not be bought or sold. To access such projects, please read the first post of the project thread in question, and if you are still unsure where to go many creators would be happy to answer your questions via private message.”

We still need a dedicated section of the forum laying out exactly how to
1: Access projects - with Myspleen closed to new members, this isn’t as simple as it has been.
2: Access Disc art and labels
3: Download and burn discs

You probably don’t recognize me because of the red arm.
Episode 9 Rewrite, The Starlight Project (Released!) and ANH Technicolor Project (Released!)

Author
Time

ZigZig said:

Darth Lucas said:

how did this happen?

  1. The official sources are/were TehParadox (which is closed) and MySpleen (where invitations are not available anymore).
  2. When a newbie asks “where can I get them” on this forum, the 2 ou 3 same guys always answer with jokes, or “read the first post” (which is outdated), or don’t answer at all, or forbid access to newbies (you must be a member for 6 months before getting the private links, which is quite justified and understandable, but can give the impression of a closed club).
  3. If you want to learn more about how to get the Despecialized Editions, you have to read 161 pages of private jokes. And do not try to give your opinion or to answer to a post, you’ll receive “get out of here” or “ridiculous” for answer from some people who think that this forum is their playground, even though the vast majority of members are kind and caring.

On the other hand, if you pay on eBay, you receive a beautiful package with a box, inner sleeves and beautifully printed blurays.

I am obviously outraged that people get paid on eBay for the volunteer and free work of other people like Harmy, Poita, Adywan or DrDre. No one should claim $ 100 on eBay for Harmy’s work, it is not fair. And I’m happy to be a (young new) member of this forum, where I can learn a lot of things about SW, and share my passion with people who are, for the most part, extremely sympathetic.

But I understand why many people end up finding eBay easier than this particular forum …

I agree 100%, especially in this time and age where everything is instant gratification, a lot of people will find it a lot easier to pay $100 bucks for a set rather than find out how to actually download it themselves. Let alone burn, print, buy cases etc. Amazon Prime has spoiled us lol

Author
Time
 (Edited)

ZigZig said:

Darth Lucas said:

how did this happen?

  1. The official sources are/were TehParadox (which is closed) and MySpleen (where invitations are not available anymore).
  2. When a newbie asks “where can I get them” on this forum, the 2 ou 3 same guys always answer with jokes, or “read the first post” (which is outdated), or don’t answer at all, or forbid access to newbies (you must be a member for 6 months before getting the private links, which is quite justified and understandable, but can give the impression of a closed club).
  3. If you want to learn more about how to get the Despecialized Editions, you have to read 161 pages of private jokes. And do not try to give your opinion or to answer to a post, you’ll receive “get out of here” or “ridiculous” for answer from some people who think that this forum is their playground, even though the vast majority of members are kind and caring.

On the other hand, if you pay on eBay, you receive a beautiful package with a box, inner sleeves and beautifully printed blurays.

I am obviously outraged that people get paid on eBay for the volunteer and free work of other people like Harmy, Poita, Adywan or DrDre. No one should claim $ 100 on eBay for Harmy’s work, it is not fair. And I’m happy to be a (young new) member of this forum, where I can learn a lot of things about SW, and share my passion with people who are, for the most part, extremely sympathetic.

But I understand why many people end up finding eBay easier than this particular forum …

 

You raise some good valid points ZigZig - and I appreciate your efforts in here to try and come up with a solution to these issues.

To try to answer some of your points - and in the interests of clarity for others reading up about this topic…

 

Harmy’s Dspecialised Editions are widely available on both public and private torrent sites - in many differing formats and sizes. That new posters state on here that they searched ‘high and low’ on the public torrent sites and still can’t find them is somewhat baffling. Also baffling are those that say they don’t know how to use torrent sites and then ask to join myspleen…
 

In Harmy’s first post in his Despecialised Edition thread on this site is the linked ‘The Ultimate Introductory Guide’ -
which chronicles how to obtain the DE.

Harmy also has a facebook page - chronicling how to obtain his Despecialised Editions - via ‘The Ultimate Introductory Guide’ linked on it.

And a twitter page too.

There is also a youtube video out there with ‘The Ultimate Introductory Guide’ linked in on how to obtain the DE.

I think (though am not certain) that the above video, with ‘The Ultimate Introductory Guide’ linked in, is available on other similar video sites too.
 

Please note that the first post of the ‘Myspleen Invite’ thread HAS indeed been updated.
 

Re the 2 or 3 guys who answer ‘newbies’ with jokes etc - yes, at times they could be a little more helpful and can a bit sarcastic. However, please note that many of the posts in the various Despecialised / myspleen threads have many, many new people to this site who haven’t read that first post on how to obtain them, nor have they taken the time to actually read through the thread, or around the site - they often just ask how to get them - repeat it a few days later (or more) and then never post again.

I imagine many regular & interested posters pop in a few of these quality Despecialised threads from time to time - after seeing the thread has been bumped - thinking there may be some new additions to the work, or a new alternative take, or that it may have inspired someone to do something similar, or perhaps an update on the project, or just a good conversation on the topic at hand etc…

…but, no - it’s yet another ‘can I have a link’ type post.

For the posters who have been here a while… seeing quality threads bumped by people consistently and repeatedly asking questions that have already been answered many, many times - on a subject to which the answer was staring ‘newbies’ in the face all that time - is quite frustrating - and well… patience can, somewhat understandably, wear a little thin.

However, if anyone oversteps the mark in treatment to fellow posters - new or old - it can be reported to the moderators on here.
 

If a member on here chooses to only give a small number of invites to a few fellow members that have been here for 6 months or more, then that is his/her prerogative and is down to that specific member - it does not reflect on this site. It also has little-to-nothing to do with this site.
 

This site was not the only way to join myspleen.

This site has no affiliation with myspleen - although some people are members of both sites.

For those wishing to join up at myspleen it has repeatedly been pointed out that myspleen’s own forums remain open to join, at:-

http://www.myspleen.org/forums/

It is on that forum that many questions could likely be answered better than on here.

It is also possible, that contributing to those forums, will likely get them the information they desire - as well as likely being made aware of if/when myspleen invites will be made available once again.

 

Re artwork for the Despecialised Editions - there is a whole section of the ot.com dedicated to helping provide covers, discart, chapter inserts and artwork etc for near on all things Star Wars. There are many differing options to choose from, ranging from quality work from professionals in their field - to people like me who struggle with MS Paint…

There is also information including info on how to print on discs, which type of paper is best, which printers will print direct to disc, how to make a boxset, alternatives to storing films on discs, which dvd or blu ray cases are decent - and cheapest to buy from, and how to make your own covers etc…

I mention this as I received an email not long ago from a person who had bought a Despecialised Edition boxset from ebay - it certainly was NOT ‘a beautiful package with a box, inner sleeves and beautifully printed blurays’…

It was printed on cheap ‘letter quality’ paper on which the ink had run through to on the other side, it had cheap cases which had cracked in transit (or before?), and the films themselves were on a very cheap brand of blu ray disc - and would only work on some blu ray players.

So ‘buyer beware’ - for they are likely dealing with the type of person who goes against the wishes of the man who gave us these Editions for free, profits from the work by that man & many, many others, sells them on at an extortionate price - and then apparently sends out substandard / shoddy sets.

 

Re the njvc Custom Blu Ray Set…

njvc very kindly put his customised project of the Despecialised Editions up for people to download - for free on Mega - and some ****s still downloaded and put them up for sale on/at various places like cons, ebay, other online selling sites etc. We now know that some people on myspleen (when invites were still being given out) have done the same in downloading them and then selling them on.

This somewhat nullifies a few claims seen on here along the lines of ‘restricted availability leads to higher demand and more expensive sets sold online - so make them more easily available’.

A quick read through the posts in the njvc’s ‘Custom Blu Ray Set’ thread on the matter clarify this, along with the valid reasons njvc felt he had to take his project down.
 

To me, if you are create something in the fan edit/preservation community, somebody is always likely to take your work, put it on a disc, and then sell it. It’s been happening for many years - it is not right, none of us like it - yet there is no real way to effectively stop it.
 

My personal opinion is that whilst njvc did some outstanding and technical quality work on his ‘Custom Blu Ray Set’ - with all the superb menus, commentaries and special features etc - it is the actual content, the films themselves, that are the most important aspect of being able to watch the unaltered original trilogy in the form of Harmy’s Despecialised Editions.

As dahmage posted on the subject, a few days ago, so succinctly:-

'these custom bluray’s were just one guys (njvc) project, if he doesn’t want to publicly share it anymore, that is his call. you aren’t being denied anything. the OT is still available for you all (Harmy’s work).

sorry if you feel like this is a problem, but take a step back, after you got the discs, you would say ‘cool!’ and then life would continue, it isn’t that important that you have a pretty blu-ray menu.’

A little patience goes a long way on this old-school Rebel base. If you are having issues finding what you are looking for, these will be of some help…

Welcome to the OriginalTrilogy.com | Introduce yourself in here | Useful info within : About : Help : Site Rules : Fan Project Rules : Announcements
How do I do this?’ on the OriginalTrilogy.com; some info & answers + FAQs - includes info on how to search for projects and threads on the OT•com

A Project Index for Star Wars Preservations (Harmy’s Despecialized & 4K77/80/83 etc) : A Project Index for Star Wars Fan Edits (adywan & Hal 9000 etc)

… and take your time to look around this site before posting - to get a feel for this place. Don’t just lazily make yet another thread asking for projects.

Author
Time
 (Edited)

I remember back when i soft modded my Wii this message popped up when i was installing:

Harmy should put something like this in v3.0 of the DEED XD.

Author
Time
 (Edited)

Most fanedits have something like that at the beginning. Unfortunately those are really easy to trim out and redistribute. In fact, with programs like virtualdub and avidemux removing something like that could even be done without re encoding.

Author
Time

The G said:

I remember back when i soft modded my Wii this message popped up when i was installing:

Harmy should put something like this in v3.0 of the DEED XD.

😃 Ah! That made the Wii my favourite console for a long time. Play NTSC games, run home-brew stuff, watch DVD’s region free. If only the ReBug hack on my PS3 worked so well.

Possessed said:

Most fanedits have something like that at the beginning. Unfortunately those are really easy to trim out and redistribute. In fact, with programs like virtualdub and avidemux removing something like that could even be done without re encoding.

Yeah, a few keystrokes and it’s gone. You’d have to take the screener route and embed a periodic warning throughout the video along these lines:

Of course, that would lead to complaints about spoiling the enjoyment of the material etc. but it’s probably the only method that’s guaranteed to throw a spanner in the works of these opportunists.

“Logic is the battlefield of adulthood.”

  • Howard Berk
Author
Time

The G said:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Star-Wars-Trilogy-Despecialized-Trilogy-Blu-Ray-/112598833137?hash=item1a3769d7f1:g:udsAAOSwp4VZlA~V

Another one. This guy uses harmy’s box art and shat all over it with an ugly star wars logo, but hey that’s just my opinion. shrug

Reported to ebay - not the first time this seller has been reported either.

A little patience goes a long way on this old-school Rebel base. If you are having issues finding what you are looking for, these will be of some help…

Welcome to the OriginalTrilogy.com | Introduce yourself in here | Useful info within : About : Help : Site Rules : Fan Project Rules : Announcements
How do I do this?’ on the OriginalTrilogy.com; some info & answers + FAQs - includes info on how to search for projects and threads on the OT•com

A Project Index for Star Wars Preservations (Harmy’s Despecialized & 4K77/80/83 etc) : A Project Index for Star Wars Fan Edits (adywan & Hal 9000 etc)

… and take your time to look around this site before posting - to get a feel for this place. Don’t just lazily make yet another thread asking for projects.

Author
Time

Reported to ebay - not the first time this seller has been reported either.

Ive also reported this guy many times, but every time a set sells a new one is relisted. Ebay just doesnt seem to care.

Author
Time

towne32 said:

NeverarGreat said:

Running torrents off of your website is a good way to run into legal trouble.

Even though you aren’t hosting the illegal content, hosting the torrent can be bad enough if you’re up against Disney and the MPAA. It’s a really bad idea to make yourself a target like that, in my opinion. And I thought it was a funny Leia misquote.

New people like to complain about how decentralized things are around here. Some people complain because they’re too lazy to figure it out.

I think this is a bit unfair. It’s an attitude of experienced computer users who don’t like to explain things to other people. Sometimes I can be a part of that category.

But who’s to say that these users are lazy? Can you prove it? I doubt it. Also, technology should be available to everyone, not just to people who’ve sunk their whole life into it.

Others make the reasonable claim that it drives people to places like Ebay.

It’s a reasonable claim that having things a bit decentralized thwarts some of the less technically inclined and probably drives them to ebay. And that having higher visibility (apparently more than a very obvious facebook page) would prevent some of those sales. Others would still buy because they are either lazy or don’t have the internet connection or ability to burn BD-R and make pretty cases.

But I would argue that besides the problems that A) some jackasses are profitting and B) some dumbasses are losing money,

I’d say it’s kind of harsh to call people who buy edits on eBay “dumbasses.”

Author
Time

Puggo - Jar Jar’s Yoda said:

I’m a little confused… I just downloaded the latest despecialized editions myself using the instructions on the first post of Harmy’s thread, via Uloz just following his steps. It was extraordinarily easy and didn’t require understanding torrents. There’s not much easier anyone could make it given the size of the files.

I believe that you said that you were a computer programmer at some point. As such, I would guess that you would have seen the Uloz.to process as a piece of cake. But that’s probably not the way many “regular people” see it.

The reason you see everybody’s smartphones filled with apps is because it easy and safe to install apps on them. Just search for the app you want in the store, then click the install button. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. No file managers or installers to wrangle. There’s also the added benefit of people viewing their smartphones as secure devices; or, at least more secure than desktop computers. People remember the Bad Old Days of bloated anti-virus software on Windows and viruses that crippled whole networks. That stigma isn’t attached to phones.

While we experienced computer users have complex multi-folder deep hierarchies on our disks, I’ve seen regular people struggle with the concept of file management. These people aren’t dumb, they’re just not accustomed to the desktop environment. Just because a neurosurgeon doesn’t know how to mange files doesn’t mean they’re a dumbass. And a computer programmer that can do that isn’t necessarily smarter than the neurosurgeon. Competence does not equal intelligence. So, what we may think is a piece of cake may not be to the end user.

Author
Time

Frank your Majesty said:

I’m not a lawyer but I have access to google and wikipedia.

From Wikipedia:

Exclusive rights

There are six basic rights protected by copyright. The owner of copyright has the exclusive right to do and to authorize others to do the following:

  1. To reproduce the work in copies or phonorecords;
  2. To prepare derivative works based upon the work;
  3. To distribute copies or phonorecords of the work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending;
  4. To publicly perform the work, in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and motion pictures and other audiovisual works;
  5. To publicly display the work, in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and pictorial, graphic, or sculptural works, including the individual images of a motion picture or other audiovisual work.
  6. To digitally transmit sound recordings by means of digital audio transmission.

A violation of any of the exclusive rights of the copyright holder is a copyright infringement, unless fair use (or a similar affirmative defense) applies.

Fair use

Fair use is the use of limited amounts of copyrighted material in such a way as to not be an infringement. It is codified at 17 U.S.C. § 107, and states that “the fair use of a copyrighted work … is not an infringement of copyright.” The section lists four factors that must be assessed to determine whether a particular use is fair. There are no bright-line rules regarding fair use and each determination is made on an individualized case-by-case basis.

  1. Purpose and character of the use, including whether the use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes: Nonprofit educational and noncommercial uses are more likely to be fair use. This does not mean that all nonprofit education and noncommercial uses are fair use or that all commercial uses are not fair. Instead, courts will balance the purpose and character of the use against the other factors below. Additionally, “transformative” uses are more likely to be considered fair. Transformative uses are those that add something new, with a further purpose or different character, and do not substitute for the original use of the work.
  2. Nature of the copyrighted work: Using a more creative or imaginative work (such as a novel, movie, or song) is less likely to support fair use than using a factual work (such as a technical article or news item). In addition, use of an unpublished work is less likely to be considered fair.
  3. Amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole: Courts look at both the quantity and quality of the copyrighted material that was used. Using a large portion of the copyrighted work is less likely to be fair use. However, courts have occasionally found use of an entire work to be fair use, and in other contexts, using even a small amount of a copyrighted work was determined not to be fair use because the selection was an important part—or the “heart”—of the work.
  4. Effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work: Here, courts review whether, and to what extent, the unlicensed use harms the existing or future market for the copyright owner’s original work. In assessing this factor, courts consider whether the use is hurting the current market for the original work (for example, by displacing sales of the original) and/or whether the use could cause substantial harm if it were to become widespread.

In addition to these four factors, the statute also allows courts to consider any other factors that may be relevant to the fair use analysis. Courts evaluate fair use claims on a case-by-case basis, and the outcome of any given case depends on the specific facts of that case. There is no formula to ensure that a predetermined percentage or amount of a work—or specific number of words, lines, pages, copies—may be used without permission.

The justification of the fair use doctrine turns primarily on whether, and to what extent, the challenged use is transformative. “The use must be productive and must employ the quoted matter in a different manner or for a different purpose from the original. A quotation of copyrighted material that merely repackages or republishes the original is unlikely to pass the test… If, on the other hand, the secondary use adds value to the original–if the quoted matter is used as raw material, transformed in the creation of new information, new aesthetics, new insights and understandings-- this is the very type of activity that the fair use doctrine intends to protect for the enrichment of society.”

Making a fan-edit interferes with point 2 of “exclusive rights”, however, if you made this fan-edit for yourself and you watch it only with your family, you’d have a very strong case that this is covered by “fair use” as you’re not interfering with anyones business. (See point 4 of fair use.)
This doesn’t hold up anymore when you share your edit with thousands of people. Besides the altered scenes, a fan-edit also consists of many scenes found in the original work, which interferes with point 3 of “fair use” and distributing your fan-edit therefore violates point 3 of “exclusive rights”, as you’re also providing the unaltered scenes to the public. (Obvisouly, you’re always interfering with point 2 of “fair use”.)
You could make the claim that your edit is transformative (see point 1 under “fair use”) and has additional value over the original work, but if this argument was easily accepted in court, we would’nt have to have this discussion right now. Fan-preservations can by definition not be transformative, as their goal is precisely not to change a work of art, so no luck in that departement.
The only thing this community has left is point 1 under “fair use”, which is “non-commercial use”, but that alone isn’t enough in court. And this is the only difference to the people selling fan-edits on ebay. And in the eyes of the law, this difference is minuscule. Drawing the attention of authorities to these sellers also means drawing their attention to the creators of fan-edits.

Excellent analysis.

Author
Time

oojason said:

ZigZig said:

Darth Lucas said:

how did this happen?

  1. The official sources are/were TehParadox (which is closed) and MySpleen (where invitations are not available anymore).
  2. When a newbie asks “where can I get them” on this forum, the 2 ou 3 same guys always answer with jokes, or “read the first post” (which is outdated), or don’t answer at all, or forbid access to newbies (you must be a member for 6 months before getting the private links, which is quite justified and understandable, but can give the impression of a closed club).
  3. If you want to learn more about how to get the Despecialized Editions, you have to read 161 pages of private jokes. And do not try to give your opinion or to answer to a post, you’ll receive “get out of here” or “ridiculous” for answer from some people who think that this forum is their playground, even though the vast majority of members are kind and caring.

On the other hand, if you pay on eBay, you receive a beautiful package with a box, inner sleeves and beautifully printed blurays.

I am obviously outraged that people get paid on eBay for the volunteer and free work of other people like Harmy, Poita, Adywan or DrDre. No one should claim $ 100 on eBay for Harmy’s work, it is not fair. And I’m happy to be a (young new) member of this forum, where I can learn a lot of things about SW, and share my passion with people who are, for the most part, extremely sympathetic.

But I understand why many people end up finding eBay easier than this particular forum …

 

You raise some good valid points ZigZig - and I appreciate your efforts in here to try and come up with a solution to these issues.

To try to answer some of your points - and in the interests of clarity for others reading up about this topic…

 

Harmy’s Dspecialised Editions are widely available on both public and private torrent sites - in many differing formats and sizes. That new posters state on here that they searched ‘high and low’ on the public torrent sites and still can’t find them is somewhat baffling. Also baffling are those that say they don’t know how to use torrent sites and then ask to join myspleen…

Never attribute to malice what can be attributed to stupidity.

 

In Harmy’s first post in his Despecialised Edition thread on this site is the linked ‘The Ultimate Introductory Guide’ -
which chronicles how to obtain the DE.

I have doubts on whether a user of normal technical capability can actually understand and follow those instructions.

Harmy also has a facebook page - chronicling how to obtain his Despecialised Editions - via ‘The Ultimate Introductory Guide’ linked on it.

And a twitter page too.

There is also a youtube video out there with ‘The Ultimate Introductory Guide’ linked in on how to obtain the DE.

Those pages might not have enough visibility to make a difference. I wonder what is the main outlet that people find out about these sorts of fan edits and restorations. YouTube is an incredibly large force — maybe people are finding out there, and then get roped into this resale scam.

I think (though am not certain) that the above video, with ‘The Ultimate Introductory Guide’ linked in, is available on other similar video sites too.
 

Please note that the first post of the ‘Myspleen Invite’ thread HAS indeed been updated.
 

Re the 2 or 3 guys who answer ‘newbies’ with jokes etc - yes, at times they could be a little more helpful and can a bit sarcastic. However, please note that many of the posts in the various Despecialised / myspleen threads have many, many new people to this site who haven’t read that first post on how to obtain them, nor have they taken the time to actually read through the thread, or around the site - they often just ask how to get them - repeat it a few days later (or more) and then never post again.

I will concede that not reading the first post is pretty stupid. However, reading through multi-hundred page threads is something that I don’t think we should ask of people. And many people probably don’t arrive here at the front page — they’re probably directed to Harmy’s or the MySpleen invite page without knowing what’s beyond those parts.

You can’t ask people to take time you don’t know if they have to do something.

I imagine many posters pop in a few of these quality Despecialised threads from time to time - after seeing the thread has been bumped - thinking there may be some new additions to the work, or a new alternative take, or that it may have inspired someone to do something similar, or perhaps an update on the project, or just a good conversation on the topic at hand etc…

…but, no - it’s yet another ‘can I have a link’ type post.

For the posters who have been here a while… seeing quality threads bumped by people consistently and repeatedly asking questions that have already been answered many, many times - on a subject to which the answer was staring ‘newbies’ in the face all that time is quite frustrating - well… patience can, somewhat understandably, wear a little thin.

I honestly don’t understand this frustration that many people seem to have. These one-post wonders are only that — one-post wonders. After they’re done with their innocuous question-asking, they have absolutely zero impact on the forum whatsoever, except for a feeling of “clutter” that some might have. And regular conversation of the topic at hand can continue unhindered. If people aren’t talking about the topic, that’s because people don’t want to talk about it or have nothing to say. That’s not the fault of the newbies.

Perhaps we should have a forum feature allowing users to ignore accounts less than a day old?

However, if anyone oversteps the mark in treatment to fellow posters - new or old - it can be reported to the moderators on here.
 

If a member on here chooses to only give a small number of invites to a few fellow members that have been here for 6 months or more, then that is his/her prerogative and is down to that specific member - it does not reflect on this site. It also has little-to-nothing to do with this site.
 

This site was not the only way to join myspleen.

This site has no affiliation with myspleen - although some people are members of both sites.

For those wishing to join up at myspleen it has repeatedly been pointed out that myspleen’s own forums remain open to join, at:-

http://www.myspleen.org/forums/

It is on that forum that many questions could likely be answered better than on here.

It is also possible, that contributing to those forums, will likely get them the information they desire - as well as likely being made aware of if/when myspleen invites will be made available once again.

The problem is, we need to find a way to direct more of the newbies to go over there before they ask for invites or information over here.

 

Re artwork for the Despecialised Editions - there is a whole section of the ot.com dedicated to helping provide covers, discart, chapter inserts and artwork etc for near on all things Star Wars. There are many differing options to choose from, ranging from quality work from professionals in their field - to people like me who struggle with MS Paint…

There is also information including info on how to print on discs, which type of paper is best, which printers will print direct to disc, how to make a boxset, alternatives to storing films on discs, which dvd or blu ray cases are decent - and cheapest to buy from, and how to make your own covers etc…

I mention this as I received an email not long ago from a person who had bought a Despecialised Edition boxset from ebay - it certainly was NOT ‘a beautiful package with a box, inner sleeves and beautifully printed blurays’…

It was printed on cheap ‘letter quality’ paper on which the ink had run through to on the other side, it had cheap cases which had cracked in transit (or before?), and the films themselves were on a very cheap brand of blu ray disc - and would only work on some blu ray players.

I would assume that the quality of the counterfeit disks would vary. Obviously people with no care for what they’ve made who just want to make a quick buck is a big part of the market, but the plural of anecdote is not data. I wonder how many people there who want to make a quick buck but also have good workmanship!

So ‘buyer beware’ - for they are likely dealing with the type of person who goes against the wishes of the man who gave us these Editions for free, profits from the work by that man & many, many others, sells them on at an extortionate price - and then apparently sends out substandard / shoddy sets.

 

Re the njvc Custom Blu Ray Set…

njvc very kindly put his customised project of the Despecialised Editions up for people to download - for free on Mega - and some ****s still downloaded and put them up for sale on/at various places like cons, ebay, other online selling sites etc. We now know that some people on myspleen (when invites were still being given out) have done the same in downloading them and then selling them on.

This somewhat nullifies a few claims seen on here along the lines of ‘restricted availability leads to higher demand and more expensive sets sold online - so make them more easily available’.

It seems to be a pretty reasonable prediction based on supply and demand, but things can get weird with digital products where there is no actual limit to the amount of product that can be distributed. I’d love to see what the economics at play are here.

Author
Time

yhwx said:

Puggo - Jar Jar’s Yoda said:

I’m a little confused… I just downloaded the latest despecialized editions myself using the instructions on the first post of Harmy’s thread, via Uloz just following his steps. It was extraordinarily easy and didn’t require understanding torrents. There’s not much easier anyone could make it given the size of the files.

I believe that you said that you were a computer programmer at some point. As such, I would guess that you would have seen the Uloz.to process as a piece of cake. But that’s probably not the way many “regular people” see it.

While true, I honestly did try my best to account for this when making my comment.

The reason you see everybody’s smartphones filled with apps is because it easy and safe to install apps on them. Just search for the app you want in the store, then click the install button. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. No file managers or installers to wrangle.

Following the Uloz-based documentation, I didn’t have to install any file managers or installers. I didn’t need to use any sort of torrent software at all (actually, even though I am a programmer, I don’t know anything about torrents). I just followed the links and clicked on the things Harmy’s instructions said to click.

There’s also the added benefit of people viewing their smartphones as secure devices; or, at least more secure than desktop computers. People remember the Bad Old Days of bloated anti-virus software on Windows and viruses that crippled whole networks. That stigma isn’t attached to phones.

Are you suggesting that people should expect to download Harmy’s blu ray via their smartphone? Do today’s smartphones even have that much free storage space?

Personally, I think that there are many people buying the discs who are perfectly capable of downloading them. They either don’t know where to find the steps or don’t want to take the time. I also don’t think there is anything we can do about it. After all, we started it. 😃 A part of me even thinks that the more people see Harmy’s, regardless of how, the more pressure there will be on Disney to produce a decent release. All this money could be theirs.

"Close the blast doors!"
Puggo’s website | Rescuing Star Wars

Author
Time

yhwx said:

towne32 said:

NeverarGreat said:

Running torrents off of your website is a good way to run into legal trouble.

Even though you aren’t hosting the illegal content, hosting the torrent can be bad enough if you’re up against Disney and the MPAA. It’s a really bad idea to make yourself a target like that, in my opinion. And I thought it was a funny Leia misquote.

New people like to complain about how decentralized things are around here. Some people complain because they’re too lazy to figure it out.

I think this is a bit unfair. It’s an attitude of experienced computer users who don’t like to explain things to other people. Sometimes I can be a part of that category.

But who’s to say that these users are lazy? Can you prove it? I doubt it. Also, technology should be available to everyone, not just to people who’ve sunk their whole life into it.

Others make the reasonable claim that it drives people to places like Ebay.

It’s a reasonable claim that having things a bit decentralized thwarts some of the less technically inclined and probably drives them to ebay. And that having higher visibility (apparently more than a very obvious facebook page) would prevent some of those sales. Others would still buy because they are either lazy or don’t have the internet connection or ability to burn BD-R and make pretty cases.

But I would argue that besides the problems that A) some jackasses are profitting and B) some dumbasses are losing money,

I’d say it’s kind of harsh to call people who buy edits on eBay “dumbasses.”

yhwx said:

Puggo - Jar Jar’s Yoda said:

I’m a little confused… I just downloaded the latest despecialized editions myself using the instructions on the first post of Harmy’s thread, via Uloz just following his steps. It was extraordinarily easy and didn’t require understanding torrents. There’s not much easier anyone could make it given the size of the files.

I believe that you said that you were a computer programmer at some point. As such, I would guess that you would have seen the Uloz.to process as a piece of cake. But that’s probably not the way many “regular people” see it.

The reason you see everybody’s smartphones filled with apps is because it easy and safe to install apps on them. Just search for the app you want in the store, then click the install button. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. No file managers or installers to wrangle. There’s also the added benefit of people viewing their smartphones as secure devices; or, at least more secure than desktop computers. People remember the Bad Old Days of bloated anti-virus software on Windows and viruses that crippled whole networks. That stigma isn’t attached to phones.

While we experienced computer users have complex multi-folder deep hierarchies on our disks, I’ve seen regular people struggle with the concept of file management. These people aren’t dumb, they’re just not accustomed to the desktop environment. Just because a neurosurgeon doesn’t know how to mange files doesn’t mean they’re a dumbass. And a computer programmer that can do that isn’t necessarily smarter than the neurosurgeon. Competence does not equal intelligence. So, what we may think is a piece of cake may not be to the end user.

yhwx said:

Frank your Majesty said:

I’m not a lawyer but I have access to google and wikipedia.

From Wikipedia:

Exclusive rights

There are six basic rights protected by copyright. The owner of copyright has the exclusive right to do and to authorize others to do the following:

  1. To reproduce the work in copies or phonorecords;
  2. To prepare derivative works based upon the work;
  3. To distribute copies or phonorecords of the work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending;
  4. To publicly perform the work, in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and motion pictures and other audiovisual works;
  5. To publicly display the work, in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and pictorial, graphic, or sculptural works, including the individual images of a motion picture or other audiovisual work.
  6. To digitally transmit sound recordings by means of digital audio transmission.

A violation of any of the exclusive rights of the copyright holder is a copyright infringement, unless fair use (or a similar affirmative defense) applies.

Fair use

Fair use is the use of limited amounts of copyrighted material in such a way as to not be an infringement. It is codified at 17 U.S.C. § 107, and states that “the fair use of a copyrighted work … is not an infringement of copyright.” The section lists four factors that must be assessed to determine whether a particular use is fair. There are no bright-line rules regarding fair use and each determination is made on an individualized case-by-case basis.

  1. Purpose and character of the use, including whether the use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes: Nonprofit educational and noncommercial uses are more likely to be fair use. This does not mean that all nonprofit education and noncommercial uses are fair use or that all commercial uses are not fair. Instead, courts will balance the purpose and character of the use against the other factors below. Additionally, “transformative” uses are more likely to be considered fair. Transformative uses are those that add something new, with a further purpose or different character, and do not substitute for the original use of the work.
  2. Nature of the copyrighted work: Using a more creative or imaginative work (such as a novel, movie, or song) is less likely to support fair use than using a factual work (such as a technical article or news item). In addition, use of an unpublished work is less likely to be considered fair.
  3. Amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole: Courts look at both the quantity and quality of the copyrighted material that was used. Using a large portion of the copyrighted work is less likely to be fair use. However, courts have occasionally found use of an entire work to be fair use, and in other contexts, using even a small amount of a copyrighted work was determined not to be fair use because the selection was an important part—or the “heart”—of the work.
  4. Effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work: Here, courts review whether, and to what extent, the unlicensed use harms the existing or future market for the copyright owner’s original work. In assessing this factor, courts consider whether the use is hurting the current market for the original work (for example, by displacing sales of the original) and/or whether the use could cause substantial harm if it were to become widespread.

In addition to these four factors, the statute also allows courts to consider any other factors that may be relevant to the fair use analysis. Courts evaluate fair use claims on a case-by-case basis, and the outcome of any given case depends on the specific facts of that case. There is no formula to ensure that a predetermined percentage or amount of a work—or specific number of words, lines, pages, copies—may be used without permission.

The justification of the fair use doctrine turns primarily on whether, and to what extent, the challenged use is transformative. “The use must be productive and must employ the quoted matter in a different manner or for a different purpose from the original. A quotation of copyrighted material that merely repackages or republishes the original is unlikely to pass the test… If, on the other hand, the secondary use adds value to the original–if the quoted matter is used as raw material, transformed in the creation of new information, new aesthetics, new insights and understandings-- this is the very type of activity that the fair use doctrine intends to protect for the enrichment of society.”

Making a fan-edit interferes with point 2 of “exclusive rights”, however, if you made this fan-edit for yourself and you watch it only with your family, you’d have a very strong case that this is covered by “fair use” as you’re not interfering with anyones business. (See point 4 of fair use.)
This doesn’t hold up anymore when you share your edit with thousands of people. Besides the altered scenes, a fan-edit also consists of many scenes found in the original work, which interferes with point 3 of “fair use” and distributing your fan-edit therefore violates point 3 of “exclusive rights”, as you’re also providing the unaltered scenes to the public. (Obvisouly, you’re always interfering with point 2 of “fair use”.)
You could make the claim that your edit is transformative (see point 1 under “fair use”) and has additional value over the original work, but if this argument was easily accepted in court, we would’nt have to have this discussion right now. Fan-preservations can by definition not be transformative, as their goal is precisely not to change a work of art, so no luck in that departement.
The only thing this community has left is point 1 under “fair use”, which is “non-commercial use”, but that alone isn’t enough in court. And this is the only difference to the people selling fan-edits on ebay. And in the eyes of the law, this difference is minuscule. Drawing the attention of authorities to these sellers also means drawing their attention to the creators of fan-edits.

Excellent analysis.

yhwx said:

oojason said:

ZigZig said:

Darth Lucas said:

how did this happen?

  1. The official sources are/were TehParadox (which is closed) and MySpleen (where invitations are not available anymore).
  2. When a newbie asks “where can I get them” on this forum, the 2 ou 3 same guys always answer with jokes, or “read the first post” (which is outdated), or don’t answer at all, or forbid access to newbies (you must be a member for 6 months before getting the private links, which is quite justified and understandable, but can give the impression of a closed club).
  3. If you want to learn more about how to get the Despecialized Editions, you have to read 161 pages of private jokes. And do not try to give your opinion or to answer to a post, you’ll receive “get out of here” or “ridiculous” for answer from some people who think that this forum is their playground, even though the vast majority of members are kind and caring.

On the other hand, if you pay on eBay, you receive a beautiful package with a box, inner sleeves and beautifully printed blurays.

I am obviously outraged that people get paid on eBay for the volunteer and free work of other people like Harmy, Poita, Adywan or DrDre. No one should claim $ 100 on eBay for Harmy’s work, it is not fair. And I’m happy to be a (young new) member of this forum, where I can learn a lot of things about SW, and share my passion with people who are, for the most part, extremely sympathetic.

But I understand why many people end up finding eBay easier than this particular forum …

 

You raise some good valid points ZigZig - and I appreciate your efforts in here to try and come up with a solution to these issues.

To try to answer some of your points - and in the interests of clarity for others reading up about this topic…

 

Harmy’s Dspecialised Editions are widely available on both public and private torrent sites - in many differing formats and sizes. That new posters state on here that they searched ‘high and low’ on the public torrent sites and still can’t find them is somewhat baffling. Also baffling are those that say they don’t know how to use torrent sites and then ask to join myspleen…

Never attribute to malice what can be attributed to stupidity.

 

In Harmy’s first post in his Despecialised Edition thread on this site is the linked ‘The Ultimate Introductory Guide’ -
which chronicles how to obtain the DE.

I have doubts on whether a user of normal technical capability can actually understand and follow those instructions.

Harmy also has a facebook page - chronicling how to obtain his Despecialised Editions - via ‘The Ultimate Introductory Guide’ linked on it.

And a twitter page too.

There is also a youtube video out there with ‘The Ultimate Introductory Guide’ linked in on how to obtain the DE.

Those pages might not have enough visibility to make a difference. I wonder what is the main outlet that people find out about these sorts of fan edits and restorations. YouTube is an incredibly large force — maybe people are finding out there, and then get roped into this resale scam.

I think (though am not certain) that the above video, with ‘The Ultimate Introductory Guide’ linked in, is available on other similar video sites too.
 

Please note that the first post of the ‘Myspleen Invite’ thread HAS indeed been updated.
 

Re the 2 or 3 guys who answer ‘newbies’ with jokes etc - yes, at times they could be a little more helpful and can a bit sarcastic. However, please note that many of the posts in the various Despecialised / myspleen threads have many, many new people to this site who haven’t read that first post on how to obtain them, nor have they taken the time to actually read through the thread, or around the site - they often just ask how to get them - repeat it a few days later (or more) and then never post again.

I will concede that not reading the first post is pretty stupid. However, reading through multi-hundred page threads is something that I don’t think we should ask of people. And many people probably don’t arrive here at the front page — they’re probably directed to Harmy’s or the MySpleen invite page without knowing what’s beyond those parts.

You can’t ask people to take time you don’t know if they have to do something.

I imagine many posters pop in a few of these quality Despecialised threads from time to time - after seeing the thread has been bumped - thinking there may be some new additions to the work, or a new alternative take, or that it may have inspired someone to do something similar, or perhaps an update on the project, or just a good conversation on the topic at hand etc…

…but, no - it’s yet another ‘can I have a link’ type post.

For the posters who have been here a while… seeing quality threads bumped by people consistently and repeatedly asking questions that have already been answered many, many times - on a subject to which the answer was staring ‘newbies’ in the face all that time is quite frustrating - well… patience can, somewhat understandably, wear a little thin.

I honestly don’t understand this frustration that many people seem to have. These one-post wonders are only that — one-post wonders. After they’re done with their innocuous question-asking, they have absolutely zero impact on the forum whatsoever, except for a feeling of “clutter” that some might have. And regular conversation of the topic at hand can continue unhindered. If people aren’t talking about the topic, that’s because people don’t want to talk about it or have nothing to say. That’s not the fault of the newbies.

Perhaps we should have a forum feature allowing users to ignore accounts less than a day old?

However, if anyone oversteps the mark in treatment to fellow posters - new or old - it can be reported to the moderators on here.
 

If a member on here chooses to only give a small number of invites to a few fellow members that have been here for 6 months or more, then that is his/her prerogative and is down to that specific member - it does not reflect on this site. It also has little-to-nothing to do with this site.
 

This site was not the only way to join myspleen.

This site has no affiliation with myspleen - although some people are members of both sites.

For those wishing to join up at myspleen it has repeatedly been pointed out that myspleen’s own forums remain open to join, at:-

http://www.myspleen.org/forums/

It is on that forum that many questions could likely be answered better than on here.

It is also possible, that contributing to those forums, will likely get them the information they desire - as well as likely being made aware of if/when myspleen invites will be made available once again.

The problem is, we need to find a way to direct more of the newbies to go over there before they ask for invites or information over here.

 

Re artwork for the Despecialised Editions - there is a whole section of the ot.com dedicated to helping provide covers, discart, chapter inserts and artwork etc for near on all things Star Wars. There are many differing options to choose from, ranging from quality work from professionals in their field - to people like me who struggle with MS Paint…

There is also information including info on how to print on discs, which type of paper is best, which printers will print direct to disc, how to make a boxset, alternatives to storing films on discs, which dvd or blu ray cases are decent - and cheapest to buy from, and how to make your own covers etc…

I mention this as I received an email not long ago from a person who had bought a Despecialised Edition boxset from ebay - it certainly was NOT ‘a beautiful package with a box, inner sleeves and beautifully printed blurays’…

It was printed on cheap ‘letter quality’ paper on which the ink had run through to on the other side, it had cheap cases which had cracked in transit (or before?), and the films themselves were on a very cheap brand of blu ray disc - and would only work on some blu ray players.

I would assume that the quality of the counterfeit disks would vary. Obviously people with no care for what they’ve made who just want to make a quick buck is a big part of the market, but the plural of anecdote is not data. I wonder how many people there who want to make a quick buck but also have good workmanship!

So ‘buyer beware’ - for they are likely dealing with the type of person who goes against the wishes of the man who gave us these Editions for free, profits from the work by that man & many, many others, sells them on at an extortionate price - and then apparently sends out substandard / shoddy sets.

 

Re the njvc Custom Blu Ray Set…

njvc very kindly put his customised project of the Despecialised Editions up for people to download - for free on Mega - and some ****s still downloaded and put them up for sale on/at various places like cons, ebay, other online selling sites etc. We now know that some people on myspleen (when invites were still being given out) have done the same in downloading them and then selling them on.

This somewhat nullifies a few claims seen on here along the lines of ‘restricted availability leads to higher demand and more expensive sets sold online - so make them more easily available’.

It seems to be a pretty reasonable prediction based on supply and demand, but things can get weird with digital products where there is no actual limit to the amount of product that can be distributed. I’d love to see what the economics at play are here.

When did Warbler start posting in this thread?

Author
Time
 (Edited)

yhwx said:

oojason said:

ZigZig said:

Darth Lucas said:

how did this happen?

  1. The official sources are/were TehParadox (which is closed) and MySpleen (where invitations are not available anymore).
  2. When a newbie asks “where can I get them” on this forum, the 2 ou 3 same guys always answer with jokes, or “read the first post” (which is outdated), or don’t answer at all, or forbid access to newbies (you must be a member for 6 months before getting the private links, which is quite justified and understandable, but can give the impression of a closed club).
  3. If you want to learn more about how to get the Despecialized Editions, you have to read 161 pages of private jokes. And do not try to give your opinion or to answer to a post, you’ll receive “get out of here” or “ridiculous” for answer from some people who think that this forum is their playground, even though the vast majority of members are kind and caring.

On the other hand, if you pay on eBay, you receive a beautiful package with a box, inner sleeves and beautifully printed blurays.

I am obviously outraged that people get paid on eBay for the volunteer and free work of other people like Harmy, Poita, Adywan or DrDre. No one should claim $ 100 on eBay for Harmy’s work, it is not fair. And I’m happy to be a (young new) member of this forum, where I can learn a lot of things about SW, and share my passion with people who are, for the most part, extremely sympathetic.

But I understand why many people end up finding eBay easier than this particular forum …

 

You raise some good valid points ZigZig - and I appreciate your efforts in here to try and come up with a solution to these issues.

To try to answer some of your points - and in the interests of clarity for others reading up about this topic…

 

Harmy’s Dspecialised Editions are widely available on both public and private torrent sites - in many differing formats and sizes. That new posters state on here that they searched ‘high and low’ on the public torrent sites and still can’t find them is somewhat baffling. Also baffling are those that say they don’t know how to use torrent sites and then ask to join myspleen…

Never attribute to malice what can be attributed to stupidity.

 

In Harmy’s first post in his Despecialised Edition thread on this site is the linked ‘The Ultimate Introductory Guide’ -
which chronicles how to obtain the DE.

I have doubts on whether a user of normal technical capability can actually understand and follow those instructions.

Harmy also has a facebook page - chronicling how to obtain his Despecialised Editions - via ‘The Ultimate Introductory Guide’ linked on it.

And a twitter page too.

There is also a youtube video out there with ‘The Ultimate Introductory Guide’ linked in on how to obtain the DE.

Those pages might not have enough visibility to make a difference. I wonder what is the main outlet that people find out about these sorts of fan edits and restorations. YouTube is an incredibly large force — maybe people are finding out there, and then get roped into this resale scam.

I think (though am not certain) that the above video, with ‘The Ultimate Introductory Guide’ linked in, is available on other similar video sites too.
 

Please note that the first post of the ‘Myspleen Invite’ thread HAS indeed been updated.
 

Re the 2 or 3 guys who answer ‘newbies’ with jokes etc - yes, at times they could be a little more helpful and can a bit sarcastic. However, please note that many of the posts in the various Despecialised / myspleen threads have many, many new people to this site who haven’t read that first post on how to obtain them, nor have they taken the time to actually read through the thread, or around the site - they often just ask how to get them - repeat it a few days later (or more) and then never post again.

I will concede that not reading the first post is pretty stupid. However, reading through multi-hundred page threads is something that I don’t think we should ask of people. And many people probably don’t arrive here at the front page — they’re probably directed to Harmy’s or the MySpleen invite page without knowing what’s beyond those parts.

You can’t ask people to take time you don’t know if they have to do something.

I imagine many posters pop in a few of these quality Despecialised threads from time to time - after seeing the thread has been bumped - thinking there may be some new additions to the work, or a new alternative take, or that it may have inspired someone to do something similar, or perhaps an update on the project, or just a good conversation on the topic at hand etc…

…but, no - it’s yet another ‘can I have a link’ type post.

For the posters who have been here a while… seeing quality threads bumped by people consistently and repeatedly asking questions that have already been answered many, many times - on a subject to which the answer was staring ‘newbies’ in the face all that time is quite frustrating - well… patience can, somewhat understandably, wear a little thin.

I honestly don’t understand this frustration that many people seem to have. These one-post wonders are only that — one-post wonders. After they’re done with their innocuous question-asking, they have absolutely zero impact on the forum whatsoever, except for a feeling of “clutter” that some might have. And regular conversation of the topic at hand can continue unhindered. If people aren’t talking about the topic, that’s because people don’t want to talk about it or have nothing to say. That’s not the fault of the newbies.

Perhaps we should have a forum feature allowing users to ignore accounts less than a day old?

However, if anyone oversteps the mark in treatment to fellow posters - new or old - it can be reported to the moderators on here.
 

If a member on here chooses to only give a small number of invites to a few fellow members that have been here for 6 months or more, then that is his/her prerogative and is down to that specific member - it does not reflect on this site. It also has little-to-nothing to do with this site.
 

This site was not the only way to join myspleen.

This site has no affiliation with myspleen - although some people are members of both sites.

For those wishing to join up at myspleen it has repeatedly been pointed out that myspleen’s own forums remain open to join, at:-

http://www.myspleen.org/forums/

It is on that forum that many questions could likely be answered better than on here.

It is also possible, that contributing to those forums, will likely get them the information they desire - as well as likely being made aware of if/when myspleen invites will be made available once again.

The problem is, we need to find a way to direct more of the newbies to go over there before they ask for invites or information over here.

 

Re artwork for the Despecialised Editions - there is a whole section of the ot.com dedicated to helping provide covers, discart, chapter inserts and artwork etc for near on all things Star Wars. There are many differing options to choose from, ranging from quality work from professionals in their field - to people like me who struggle with MS Paint…

There is also information including info on how to print on discs, which type of paper is best, which printers will print direct to disc, how to make a boxset, alternatives to storing films on discs, which dvd or blu ray cases are decent - and cheapest to buy from, and how to make your own covers etc…

I mention this as I received an email not long ago from a person who had bought a Despecialised Edition boxset from ebay - it certainly was NOT ‘a beautiful package with a box, inner sleeves and beautifully printed blurays’…

It was printed on cheap ‘letter quality’ paper on which the ink had run through to on the other side, it had cheap cases which had cracked in transit (or before?), and the films themselves were on a very cheap brand of blu ray disc - and would only work on some blu ray players.

I would assume that the quality of the counterfeit disks would vary. Obviously people with no care for what they’ve made who just want to make a quick buck is a big part of the market, but the plural of anecdote is not data. I wonder how many people there who want to make a quick buck but also have good workmanship!

So ‘buyer beware’ - for they are likely dealing with the type of person who goes against the wishes of the man who gave us these Editions for free, profits from the work by that man & many, many others, sells them on at an extortionate price - and then apparently sends out substandard / shoddy sets.

 

Re the njvc Custom Blu Ray Set…

njvc very kindly put his customised project of the Despecialised Editions up for people to download - for free on Mega - and some ****s still downloaded and put them up for sale on/at various places like cons, ebay, other online selling sites etc. We now know that some people on myspleen (when invites were still being given out) have done the same in downloading them and then selling them on.

This somewhat nullifies a few claims seen on here along the lines of ‘restricted availability leads to higher demand and more expensive sets sold online - so make them more easily available’.

It seems to be a pretty reasonable prediction based on supply and demand, but things can get weird with digital products where there is no actual limit to the amount of product that can be distributed. I’d love to see what the economics at play are here.

I’m not getting into a tree of quotes type discussion, though will say this…

  1. There was no ‘malice’ intended - or attributed to - by my words. For the purpose of clarity, nor ‘stupidity’ either.

  2. Your doubts on ‘whether a user of normal technical capability can actually understand and follow those instructions’ are seemingly just that - your doubts. There is little evidence that people have not been able to follow the TUIG - or have asked for more clarification / easier to follow guide.

  3. YouTube, facebook, twitter, this site, public torrent and private torrent sites (as well as word-of-mouth) - should be enough ‘visibility’ to give people the information required to learn to acquire the DE, for free. There’s even a wiki page for the Despecialized Editions - with links to Harmy’s social media sites therein. It also appears Harmy’s work also ranks highly on some of the online search engines - and feature articles on his work along with some nudging people in the right direction to acquire them.

  4. New posters don’t have to read through ALL the thread - the 1st post, some random pagers in the middle of the thread, and the last couple of pages would likely give them any info/updates required - and doesn’t seem a lot to ask, or expect. Posting ‘can I have a link?’ below a post that actually gives a link - or ‘can I have a myspleen invite?’ after a post above saying ‘there are no invites being given out at present to myspleen’ can be quite frustrating for some posters on here after a while.

  5. Re the quality of counterfeit disks and workmanship - that was really answered in the next paragraph with ‘buyer beware’, and yet also in the previous paragraphs with the information provided to make their own set - at a quality that should be to the satisfaction of that person 😉

 

 

On a slight tangent…

 

a very kind member of the community on here has made available the njvc Custom BluRay Set of Harmy’s Despecialised Edition up on Mega.

For more info - http://originaltrilogy.com/topic/NJVC-Custom-Bluray-Set-of-Harmys-Despecialized-Editions-now-available-on-Mega/id/57042/page/1
 

Well in to him for doing so, and not only for getting permission from both njvc and Harmy beforehand, but for also putting together a quality and useful guide on how to acquire them - and also on how to burn them to disc too.

 

The Despecialized Editions are still available in their original format - with details on how to acquire them - in Harmy’s 1st post in this thread - as well as in the 1st posts of his ESB and ROTJ threads too…

Star Wars - http://originaltrilogy.com/topic/Harmys-STAR-WARS-Despecialized-Edition-HD-V27-MKV-IS-OUT-NOW/id/12713/page/1

Empire Strikes Back - http://originaltrilogy.com/topic/Harmys-THE-EMPIRE-STRIKES-BACK-Despecialized-Edition-HD-MKV-and-AVCHD-v20-NOW-AVAILABLE/id/12511/page/1

Return Of The Jedi - http://originaltrilogy.com/topic/Harmys-RETURN-OF-THE-JEDI-Despecialized-Edition-HD-AVCHD-DVD9-and-NTSC-DVD5-available-SEE-FIRST-POST/id/12905/page/1

 

(and big thanks also to .Val - who did the same previously, though on a temporary basis).

A little patience goes a long way on this old-school Rebel base. If you are having issues finding what you are looking for, these will be of some help…

Welcome to the OriginalTrilogy.com | Introduce yourself in here | Useful info within : About : Help : Site Rules : Fan Project Rules : Announcements
How do I do this?’ on the OriginalTrilogy.com; some info & answers + FAQs - includes info on how to search for projects and threads on the OT•com

A Project Index for Star Wars Preservations (Harmy’s Despecialized & 4K77/80/83 etc) : A Project Index for Star Wars Fan Edits (adywan & Hal 9000 etc)

… and take your time to look around this site before posting - to get a feel for this place. Don’t just lazily make yet another thread asking for projects.

Author
Time

And this person: https://www.ebay.com/i/122750332784?chn=ps&dispItem=1&ul_ref=http%3A%2F%2Frover.ebay.com%2Frover%2F1%2F711-117182-37290-0%2F2%3Fmpre%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.ebay.com%252Fi%252F122750332784%253Fchn%253Dps%2526dispItem%253D1%26itemid%3D122750332784%26targetid%3D313776934696%26device%3Dm%26adtype%3Dpla%26googleloc%3D9017818%26poi%3D%26campaignid%3D833559251%26adgroupid%3D39417365901%26rlsatarget%3Dpla-313776934696%26abcId%3D1123856%26merchantid%3D6296724%26gclid%3DCjwKCAjwyIHPBRAIEiwAHPS-GHXKLUsY1t7d4Ch-rr6dUTePFZGEB5zKlA1vAKUa8bJ9IIJBiPfasxoC1E8QAvD_BwE%26srcrot%3D711-117182-37290-0%26rvr_id%3D1335130905825

Author
Time

I love how he claims the Despecialized blu ray is a free gift. I obviously don’t like these sorts of sellers, but I have to give him props; its a clever gambit.

I decided to add a signature

Author
Time
 (Edited)

robertelee said:

I love how he claims the Despecialized blu ray is a free gift. I obviously don’t like these sorts of sellers, but I have to give him props; its a clever gambit.

Well, for 75 USD, you get the box set of 3 THX laserdiscs (OT) + TPM Laserdisc. Both are collectors and sell by other ebuyers for much more than 75 USD.
So I can believe that the Despecialized Blu-Ray is really a free gift in this case.

It is the first time that I see someone on eBay who doesn’t sell the Despecialized Edition, but gives it if you buy something else. I should not report him…

Author
Time

pittrek said:

Harmy’s work is basically a re-mix, re-mixes are considered fair use. https://boingboing.net/2013/04/26/fair-use-decision-remixing-is.html

I do not think that’s the case, not under US law anyway. There’s a lot more to a movie than just editing it, and everything automatically copyrighted as soon as it is created, and that includes all the individual shots, the sound effects created, etc. You would only have a fair-use case if you can show that your creation does not impede on the market of the original, and there you have a problem because the DE is a direct replacement for the official release.

If Harmy did have a copyright on the DE then he would still need to make a proper license to enforce, simply saying not to sell it isn’t enough. Have a look at the Carol Highsmith case, she tried to sue Getty for selling her photographs, Getty had the case thrown out of court on the basis that they don’t need a license to sell works in the public domain. Copyright Attorney Leonard French pointed out that if she didn’t want people commercialising her works she needed to make a license specifying that.

[ Scanning stuff since 2015 ]

Author
Time

Parody is generally the only ironclad exception, and even there you’d probably have to litigate.

“I find your lack of faith disturbing.”

Author
Time

That said, Lucasfilm can certainly litigate against the ebay sellers. I saw that one seller had literally sold about 200 copies or more based on their feedback “no longer registered” which means ebay probably kicked them off.

[ Scanning stuff since 2015 ]

Author
Time
 (Edited)

Here’s a comment that made me laugh:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPDdISVml8k

if anyone can help me get them as blu-rays that would be awesome.
I have a shitty dinosaur of a computer and no burner.
And I’m technologically impaired.
I know it’s illegal to buy them from someone but I’ll pay for the service/process and shipping costs.

I think whomever said the comment that we need to make it easy for people was right. There are people who pay $50-80 per month for 4G internet that has a cap of like 10-50 GB, for them downloading 3x BD50’s isn’t exactly an economical option.

Here are some Australian plans… A$50 gets you 25GB of data per month (although they also have a 100GB plan for A$70). Even on a 100GB plan though downloading a single BD50 would eat up nearly half your monthly data. Or looked at another way that data costs A$30… so not that economical.

[ Scanning stuff since 2015 ]