(Untitled)

[glockgal]

AVATAR: ZAZZLE/VIACOM FAIL
Wow. OH WOW. All but one of the products on my racebending.com Zazzle store has been removed because "it contained content in violation of Viacom's intellectual property rights". This means not just images (all of which were drawn by me), but also WORDS

Comments

[jedifreac]

Um. I'd tell this to the CNN guy.

And I'd post it to the racebending lj comm

And I'd tell io9.com

NOW!!!

(Viacom, srsly?!)

[jedifreac]

As in, it's ammo to fuel the flames and I'd tell as many places as possible. Maybe even boing-boing.

[jedifreac]

Here's more info on Fair Use

http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html

If you know of a way to get in touch with a lawyer to look at the stuff, maybe they can argue that Viacom screwed up somehow.

[jedifreac]

unfortunately, it doesn't sound like legal action has taken place, only zazzle decided to remove a product (which is within their rights and TOS), so there's no legal recourse.

[parsimonia]

Also, I just read this blog post. It doesn't mention the Avatar casting issue, but it's about a parent having trouble finding books with heroes who look like her daughter, and it sounds like Avatar is one of the few things that does feature female PoC heroes.

Also #2! If you google "avatar last airbender casting", one of the images that comes up is THIS! Variations on the same thing get a number of other related hits, and if you type in "airbender", "airbender cotroversy" seems to be the fifth most common search (it's more popular than "airbender episode guide")!

It makes me happy that the word is spreading! Are you using meta search tags on the racebending site? It's been a while since I've attempted anything close to website-making, but I think they do help a lot in getting search engines to find a site.

< / babbling >

[jedifreac]

I was thinking about "google hacking" racebending.com to make it more prominent in search results...

[parsimonia]

How does google hacking work? I am intrigued.

[glockgal]

That is an awesome (and sad) blog post, oh man. It's like mothers demanding a white version of a Dora the Explorer doll....*rolls eyes*

OMG if I could nick Gene Yang's art from his blog to post on the racebending.com site, I so totally would. I should get up the nerve to ask him...;D

I...I HAD meta search tags in the old site, but I added them now. *looks sheepish* Silly me, der....

[ani_bester]

Maybe they targeted you because yours was negative puplicity?
I know if the powers that be think you will negatively affect them then they go after you more.

Like you kno I can find many muppet things, but Kermit signing a Nine-Inch Nails song, Disney follows that vid around the net to make sure it does not go back up. Becuase they think it hurts the muppet image.

So I mean, your products clearly attacking a viacom product might have been seen as a threat?
Maybe?

That's the only earthlogic I cna dig up.

Because otherwise uhh no! WTF~!

[glockgal]

I do get it, I just don't...get it? Which is why I keep pestering Zazzle for further explanations, ahahah. I don't blame Zazzle now that they've told me it came straight from Viacom. Once I get the DMCA notice from Zazzle, hopefully it'll shed some light on where the complaint originated and all that jazz.

I have to say - VIACOM seeing a measly Zazzle store as a threat, well. It's rather awesomely sad.

[jedifreac]

I know, wtf. We sell the shirts at cost. And we've sold like, how many? Five?

[luminousmarble]

But anybody can put in a DMCA complaint. I do it all the time for stuff of mine/my groups that's thiefed. That doesn't necessarily mean I'm in the right. Though I don't necessarily blame Zazzle for deciding to go the safe route, since Viacom has the money to grind them into the ground even if Viacom's ultimately wrong.

So, Cafepress? ;) For a couple of these, the only thing they're picking up on is Aang, which is a Maasai word, right?

[glockgal]

Yay! It just got covered by BoingBoing.net and OTW! Eeeee! I hope io9.com will also report about this.

Thank you, sweetheart!! *MWAH*

[logicalargument]

Hmmm, and wow.

May I use your "putting the Cauc back in Asian" icon, with credit to you?

[glockgal]

YES!! Of course, you are made of awesome! *MWAH*