NOTICE Avatars

[Jim Oaks]

NOTICE: I saw this post today and want to address it:

Thread 'Potential problem with avatars; URGENT, please review'

Today at 2:48 PM

The Bob Is the Oil Guy (BITOG) forum, which uses similar software to this forum, reports it is deleting members' avatars that are images, because of copyright threats from lawyers for two different parties. It seems that bots from a third party automatically searched the site looking for possible copyright and trademark "infringements" from avatars. Evidently that third party receives a commission from every "violation" found.

Members who used their own photo are exempt from the image deletion, but must vouch that they took the photo. Even AI images are suspect. BITOG admins are...

• ekrampitzjr

I'm not really sure what to think about it, but I did some quick searching and see that it's something that's being discussed around the net.

It looks like most of our members have a picture of their truck in their avatar, so I'm not sure if this affects us at all, but I'm going to make a forum rule that if you upload an avatar or link to a Gravatar it has to be from a photo you took or image you created. You cannot use movie, TV, or other media clips that might be copyrighted, which of course means you can't use any labels or manufacturers logos as well.

I'm going to ask that the forum moderators keep an eye open for any avatars that might be protected or copyrighted so nobody is infringing on anyone's copyrights. If any of you see an avatar that you feel might fall into this category let me or a moderator know.

As far as making the forum private, I'm not a fan of that idea. I like the forum being open for anyone to read that might be looking for help. To me, closing the forum so that only members could see it would be like coming across someone stuck or broke down on a trail, and telling them they have to join our club before we'll help them. We're just not that kind of community.

 

[Brain75]

Guess I'll be the first to change mine, thanks for the heads up.

 

[Curious Hound]

Message received and understood.

It's ridiculous, how our society has become so litigious, plus people just out looking to make a slimy dollar off someone else's harmless fun.

 

[Brain75]

Pinky and the Brain (Amblin entertainment, Steven Spielberg productions) isn't exactly Disney level with the hair trigger law suits, but what is the real problem is "troll lawyers" lawyers who threaten to sue, file paperwork and convince people to settle quick and make it go away. They aren't representing anyone except themselves. They are using the prestige of being a lawyer to intimidate (extort) money from people who like you said were harmless. I wasn't using the picture of The Brain to sell T-shirts or make stickers or anything for profit, but it is my avatar in a LOT of places. Now I put all of those places in jeopardy just by existing, which isn't exactly fair to the site owners.